The Sound of a Rattling Birdcage
by Burst of Inspiration
Summary: Follow the story of an enigmatic ghoul as he shakes the bars of a world trapped in a birdcage. A tale filled with horror, despair, betrayal, death, life, love, learning and struggles. Set in Tokyo Ghoul: RE Contains Mature Themes Eventual [ToukaXKen] AU
1. Heads Will Roll

**A/N) Hello readers. Welcome to this story of mine. I hope you all like it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Really. It was a blast to write and I can't wait to write more. But it's 5 A.M. and I'm _really_ tired.**

**For the sake of this chapter the ghoul detectors aren't by the reception desk. **

**If you could kindly review that would make my life. Thanks.**

**P.S. There is a tribute to a certain manga/anime in this chapter. Pretty easy to guess. Let me know if you find it. Cheers! **

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Rio Hoshino was ecstatic on her first day of work. She had woken up fifteen minutes before her alarm went off. Her uniform was ironed and crisp, and she had put her chestnut hair up in pins that her mother had given her as congratulatory gift for landing her dream job. 'W_ell, it's not my dream job but it is a foot in the door._' she thought. She even was a whole thirty minutes early for her shift. Thankfully her work was open already and she was given some tips from her new co-workers before the building was open to the public.

Although she was only hired as a receptionist, Rio was extremely grateful that she was given a position at the 20th ward's CCG main office. Rio felt like she earned it though, because she worked her ass off in her studies and her internships during college. At the ripe age of twenty-two she had an impressive resume in human resources and management.

She dusted off imaginary particles from her bleach white uniform and gave a dazzling smile to the first ghoul investigator who walked through the glass double doors.

"Good morning ma'am. A pleasure to see you today." The mentioned female stopped abruptly, almost shocked by the receptionist's cheerful greeting. The blonde woman blinked and then regarded Rio with a small smile.

"You are the new receptionist, correct?"Akira asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes, ma'am." Rio said, bowing slightly. "But you already knew that. Don't let me keep you though, I'm sure you have more important things to do than make conversation with me." Akira raised an eyebrow at the young woman. She couldn't be much younger than herself and when she made eye contact with Rio after the receptionist straightened, she saw no fear or nervousness from her.

"Hmph. Alright then." Akira waved her hand submissively and turned away. She had guts; she would go far.

Rio smiled after the attractive woman, and secretly hoped she made a good impression.

After around two hours at the front desk, Rio was asked to sort paperwork before a group of investigators came to pick it up. After that was done, Rio relieved the older violet-haired woman from the front. The lady smiled and made a comment on how the young, pretty woman would help the reputation of the CCG. Rio thanked the lady for her compliment, also saying that the older woman was pretty enough. The woman laughed and commented offhandedly, "But, dear. I'm certainly not young enough anymore." They both laughed heartily at their little joke.

Rio turned to the front doors as the other receptionist, Anko was her name, turned and walked into the filing room. It was then that she noticed the man that was standing outside a few feet from the doors. He was incredibly handsome with long slicked back but spiky white hair, lean but muscular build, and to top it off he had a sleek and stylish black tuxedo on. Unbuttoned with the tie softly blowing in the wind; Yes, he was very handsome indeed she mused. She looked back up to examine his face, and her breath hitched in her throat as she was caught in his eyes. She almost recoiled backwards from the intensity of his stare, like two reddish white fires searing into her skull. It almost hurt to look them for too long, but being the trained professional she was (also not wanting to offend _anyone_ on her first day) she smiled at the man. Clearly it was not what he was expecting as his eyebrows furrowed and his mouth formed the smallest of frowns.

He broke eye contact first as he glanced up as if to see if he was at the right place, while Rio blinked several times in a row trying to get his strange haunting eye color out of her mind. She also noticed something very strange about the man, something she couldn't believe she missed given the fact that she was basically ogling him. He had a garbage bag grasped tightly in his right hand. A _full_ garbage bag, and for a split second she thought he was some sort of rich waste collector. Rio mentally kicked herself. '_That doesn't even make sense!_' she inwardly chastised.

She narrowed her eyebrows again in observation as her emerald eyes scanned over the black trashbag. It was uneven she mused, because it was bulky in some places and the bag looked quite heavy judging from the way it stretched and sagged. She saw some liquid dripping from the bottom and she scrunched up her nose in disgust. The people walking by on the street all gave the man looks of revulsion and repugnance and made wide arcs around him. She looked back up to his face and she couldn't hold back her reaction as she took a reflexive step backwards.

His lips were turned upward in a small genuine smile, and his eyes. '_Oh god his eyes!_' she thought. It was like he was starting straight into her, setting her soul ablaze. Beads of sweat ran down the back of her neck and she realized he was burning her from the inside out. She took another small step backwards and the man smiled wider.

'_He knows_' Rio thought. '_He knows that I'm afraid. He knows. He knows. Oh gods, HE_ KNOWS!' Before she could think about turning and running, the man took a step forward and opened the door. The trash bag made a squelching sound as it hit the door, and Rio almost gagged. The man moved forward casually, the small smile never leaving his face as he took his time even though almost everyone in the lobby was looking at him. She nervously looked back at the garbage bag and saw more liquid dripping out, and she could see the color of it now. Red. Red like fire. Red like _blood_. Panic and fear gripped her then and now she could only stare in horror as the man (monster) walked (crept) closer.

When he was halfway across the lobby, she felt a wave of nausea pass over her. She inhaled to try to calm herself, but that actually made her gag. The smell was awful. It smelled like something her dad cooked then left out for a week then let their dog eat it, shit it out, ate it again, puked it out and-. She stopped her train of thought when a shadow was cast over her. He was even more terrifying up close. That kind, genuine smile didn't match his persona at all. Those piercing reddish white irises were boring into her eye sockets and frying her brain.

"Hello miss.." he started. His voice equally smooth and horrifying. _How_ could a person be like this?

"Would you mind calling your bosses down here please?" A flash of confusion passed over Rio's face. "M-My bosses?" she replied slowly, scarred the man might do something if she even breathed wrong. Not that she was. She was holding her breath, trying not to breathe in that horrid stench.

"Yes. You see..I have a gift for them." He replied nonchalantly, gesturing to the bag. "Would you like to see? I don't think they would mind if you took a peek." Using both hands the white-haired man opened the sack, and the putrid smell became unbearable. Rio knew what this smell was. It was the smell of death. She didn't want to look, but her eyes were already staring into the garbage bag. A head was looking back at her, its eyes lifeless and glossed over. Dried blood caked over one side of its face and one of the ears were was missing. Then she saw more heads, more blood, smelled more death and then Rio screamed bloody murder...

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**If you are confused about the man's eyes go to Wikipedia and search eye color then scroll down to the albino "red eye" section. **

**So did you like it? Let me know!**

**Also, did you get the tribute? Kinda of obvious wasn't it? :P**

**Again, Reviews make my life. Thanks in advance. **


	2. Of Interrogations and Revelations

**A/N) Hello readers. Welcome to the second chapter. Again I had fun writing this chapter. I'm super excited for the next one though. Going to start tomorrow!**

**Those of you that do review I will be doing shout outs and answering non-spoiler questions in every updated chapter. FYI.**

** kat: Read this chapter to find out! :P**

**If you could kindly review that would make my life. Thanks.**

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The first thing Rio did after she screamed, was turn to her left a throw up all over the carpeting. Taking in a deep breath made her vomit again, this time she bent over the trash bin that was located near her just in time for it to catch her half-digested food. Gastric acid burned her esophagus, her limbs were shaking, and her eyes watered as she stared at her regurgitated breakfast. Steamed rice and miso soup courtesy of her mother. It tasted delicious, as it always is, but now it looked like a pile of chunky white ooze. She was dimly aware of the other receptionist leaning over her hunched form and a sharp clicking noise.

So many things happened at once. Two hands under her armpits lifted her up and Rio was dragged backwards. A loud siren-like noise was seemingly blaring from every direction. People moving, yelling and shouting amiss the chaos, but the last thing she saw before the filing room's door locked shut was the man's grin. He had a set of perfect white teeth.

'_What an interesting woman_' he thought as the door closed. The man turned to the nearest person, who happened to be a middle-aged business man, but when he did the man cowered and brought up his briefcase in an attempt to defend himself. "P-please don't hurt me!" he managed to sputter out. The white haired man shook his head; "Now why would I hurt-"

"Stop right there!" someone interrupted, and the man turned to face the voice. Takeomi Kuroiwa stood about two dozen feet away regarding him with a stern look. "Do not move, put the bag down, and tell me exactly what you are doing here." The businessman saw this as an opportunity to run,and he along with all the civilians ran out the building.

The white-haired man smiled pleasantly at the sight of someone of authority showing up. "I'm sorry mister ghoul investigator, I can only comply with two of those demands." Before the investigator could reply, the man continued; "You see I've come to talk your superiors on a proposition of sorts.." He said now staring intently at Takeomi, his smile long gone. He was a lean man of average height with short thick eyebrows, a black curt hairstyle, and wide eyes. If the detective was intimidated by his stare he didn't show it.

More investigators started to show up on the scene surrounding the intruder, but the man made no move to retreat or attack. One of them called over the phone to turn off the alarm, and the resounding silence that followed was almost as deafening. As the words sunk into the investigators, blood began slowly pooling under the garbage bag staining the white marble tile.

"Proposition?" Takeomi asked after a few seconds, moving his eyes to the bag for a split second. He signaled for the rest of the investigators to draw their weapons.

"That's right." he replied, not phased at all with the obvious threat of multiple ghoul investigators poised to fight. "And this.." he said, tilting his head slightly to his right. "Is my bargaining chip."

Takeomi's thick eyebrows furrowed in contemplation and his nose twitched slightly from inhaling the terrible smell from the bag; "What exactly is in-"

"Kuroiwa-san, you have ten seconds to tell me exactly what is going on." Akira interrupted walking purposefully towards the lobby. The rank two investigator turned and regarded the woman with a "Mado-senpai." He then turned back to analyze the intruder, eyes picking up on every detail.

"10.." Akira started as she came to a halt next to the man.

"Approximately 7 minutes ago, this man walked through the doors and proceeded to threaten the receptionist with something inside the bag." he stated matter-of-factly. After a few seconds, he uneasily added. "Probability of suspect being a ghoul is...likely." Some of the investigators shifted uneasily, while others only hardened their resolve and gripped their weapons tighter.

Akira watched the man with a dark look, but he didn't seem the least intimidated by her stare. In fact when Takeomi mentioned he might be a ghoul, he had a wry smile on his lips.

"Good morning, Mado-san." the man started. Akira fully glared at him for the use of her surname. The man continued as if he didn't notice. "Heads." he said after a few moments of silence.

A fully three seconds past before she questioned. "..Heads?" The man nodded as if it was obvious. "Yes, heads. I am, of course, referring to Kuroiwa-san's question before you interrupted him."

The second class investigator's expression turned grim as he digested the man's answer. Akira shot him a glance, and then looked at what the man was carrying. Realization dawned on her, and she fixed him a look of animosity. '_Those are most likely CCG operative's heads' _she thought darkly.

"Come, now. There is no reason to look so angry. Life is too short to frown all the time. Smile!" When he didn't convince them to stop frowning he shook is head in dismay. The other ghoul investigators shared looks of bewilderment to each other.

Akira took in his appearance. His most notable features, were in fact his bleach colored slicked-back hairstyle and the most eerie was his red whitish irises. Everything about this man screamed dangerous yet his mannerisms were the opposite. Simply put; This man was _strange_. But she knew one thing for sure. This man...

"You're a ghoul." she said. It wasn't a question.

"Correct." he replied without hesitation. The other investigators all stiffened and focused with renewed vigor.

"But, I do believe I've been a good guest so far. I have complied to almost all of your demands." He reasoned, tilting his head towards Takeomi.

"He is right...to a certain extent." Takeomi said. The ghoul nodded to him in appreciation, Akira shot him a look that said 'explain or I'll skewer you and roast you for dinner'.

"W-what I mean is I told him to not move, drop the bag, and explain what he was doing here. As you can see he hasn't moved at all. He told me he was here to speak to my superiors about a proposition...Which is technically.."

"I know." she said biting back a retort. She settled for giving him a peeved look instead. Turning her head back to the ghoul she crossed her arms and said; "You are at a CCG branch office, do you really think you will get out alive?"

"Oh Mado-san your attempts at intimidation are charming, truly."

Akira sneered at him. "Don't call me that." "Oh~?" he said, leaning ever so slightly forward. "What should I call you then? Should I call you by what ghouls call you? Is that want you want, _dove_?" The intensity of his stare was...unsettling. He wasn't angry, but Akira could tell he wasn't his former polite demeanor either. His eyes seem to dance as if they were aflame.

When she didn't answer he held-up his left hand as to apologize. "Ah. Forgive me, where are my manners?" He blinked and Akira noticed the flames in his eyes had gone out. Now they looked like white-hot embers. "I believe calling your occupation and field of work a slang term is doing the work you do a disservice."

Takeomi along with almost all the investigator's present, save Akira and a few others, hung their jaws open in disbelief. All of them were thinking the same thing; '_A-a ghoul complimenting the CCG?!_'

Akira was stunned into silence and a heavy stillness fell around them. Akira was the first to recover, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. The smell of death was prominent in the air, and she re-opened her eyes with a self-controlled anger in them.

"You _lie._" she spat out. Her words seemed to shake the other ghoul investigators out of their stupor. One of them shouted; "Yeah! Don't screw with us! Who brings severed heads into a CCG building and expects us to believe them?" Others nodded in agreement.

"Your doubts are justified. But! What if I told you that these heads belong to ghouls?"

"Liar." Akira said, her eyed narrowed in skepticism. The ghoul smiled showing his perfect white teeth. "Mado-san" She grit her teeth but said nothing. "I pride myself on being a person of many things: gentlemanly, polite, fair." He took the garbage bag and placed it in front of him, leaving a thin trail of blood along the way. Setting it down on the ground, he shot a look at Takeomi as if to say "_Now I followed all your demands._" Opening the bag up with one hand he reached into it carefully enough to not get any blood on his tux. "But there is one thing I never am." He slowly pulled his hand out to reveal a head whose face was eternally stuck in a look of shock. The most shocking thing about the head was the fact that the eyes were black and the irises were blood red; A telltale sign of a ghoul. "And that is a liar."

Akira stared at the head in disbelief and confusion as did the other investigators. The only times she heard of ghouls killing others what either for cannibalizing or territorial issues. This ghoul was _very_ strange.

"Why?" she managed to ask.

"Ah. A very good question Mado-san. Probably the most important question one can ask." He placed the head back into the bag. "Now what do you mean by "Why?"?" he asked her.

Takeomi had been observing the ghoul speak, and he realized that they all were playing to the palm of his hand. The ghoul had planned everything out and had acted accordingly to how they reacted. He didn't need force, he had already won with words.

Akira opened her mouth to answer, but Takeomi stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder. "Wait." She shot him a questioning look, he leaned over and whispered; "He's playing us. This whole thing has been a trap."

He leaned back and asked the ghoul; "How can we be sure that the bag has all ghoul heads? You've only showed us one." Akira understood then, of course! How could she have missed something so obvious?

"Is this an interrogation Kuroiwa-san?" He asked, effectively dodging the question.

Takeomi considered his options. The obvious answer was yes, but he knew that that's what the ghoul wanted him to say. On the other hand no meant-

"Yes." Akira said, staring down the ghoul. "But, Mado-senpai-" Takeomi started to protest.

"This is an interrogation Kuroiwa-san. Or did you forget who was your superior?" she scowled at him. "Besides I've already thought through the options."

'_A-as expected of Mado-senpai. She really can be scary and smart at the same time._' he thought.

"A bit of advice Kuroiwa-san. Don't interrupt a woman when she is going to speak. It's quite rude." the ghoul gave a friendly smile. '_C-comforted by a ghoul...Could today get any worse.'_ he inwardly sulked.

"Mado-senpai" one of the ghoul investigators called out. "What do you suggest we do?"

"Since this is an interrogation, we will need RC suppressants and open up on of the integration rooms here."

'_S-she doesn't mean..._' they all thought. One of the investigators protested;"Mado-san you really can be thinking of interrogating a ghoul here of all-"

"I am, I will take full responsibility for whatever may happen. So just do what you are told."She snapped.

"Y-yes." A few reluctantly set out to do the tasks, while the rest stayed surrounding the ghoul. Akira gave the him a long hard stare; "This is all you're getting. You will answer all of my questions before you can even think about talking about this 'proposition'"

He gave her a small smile,whether it was sinister or kind she couldn't tell anymore, and bowed. "Thank you for placing your trust in me." Takeomi gave Akira a skeptical look. "Do you really think this is the best decision senpai?"

"There are two kinds of people who negotiate. Those who are trying save their lives..""And the other?" he questioned. "The other is someone who has the power to change the outcome but does not because he's trying to help both sides." The white-haired ghoul replied. As Takeomi stared at the ghoul in front of him, he wondered if the emotion he was feeling was really fear or not.

"Which one do you think he is Kuroiwa?" Akira asked almost bitterly. "Watch him." she ordered offhandedly as she turned away, grabbed her phone and dialed.

"Sasaki. Get back here, we have a problem."

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**A/N Tell me what you thought of this chapter! Message me if you have any questions concerning anything. **


	3. Way of the Warrior

**A.N) Welcome to the third chapter. Oh man, this chapter was fun to write. Probably the most fun I've had writing fiction period. Something about making the character interact how you'd think they would with their personalities just makes it a joy to write.**

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** TH3 51L3NT A55A551N: All in due time! Here have this chapter, I hope it helps your confusion.**

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**EDIT: Fixed a few spelling errors, and made the story flow more smoothly. Also, He's is older now, forgot to take the time-skip into account.**

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The ghoul had offered to inject himself, saying that it would save one of them the embarrassment. Akira knew no-one was really willing to get close to him.

"You may take the bag now if you'd like. I won't be needing it anymore." he remarked. Akira raised an eyebrow at this as she rolled the syringe between her fingers.

"You could even test the blood for RC cells if you're so inclined to." He said as he bent down and tied the bag shut. In one swift motion he lobbed it over to the nearest investigator, where it landed perfectly upright a few feet away from him. The detective grimaced at the smell.

"Also, my apologies for all the mess here." He spread his arms wide indicating to all the blood. He took a step forward over the puddle of fluid. Extending his hand towards Akira; "No need to be so cold Mado-san. I am, after all, here to help." She regarded him with a hell-freezing glare, to which he only chuckled at, then slide her eyes to the RC suppressant in her hand. After a moment of contemplation, she took a step towards the ghoul. Akira wondered if she was fast enough to reach for her quinque in time to land a lethal blow. Another step closer. Her unoccupied hand twitched ever so slightly. "Miss Mado, your bloodlust is almost palpable.." the ghoul stated. She hesitated for a split-second but that was all the man needed...

She saw him move forward and reflexively reached to draw out Amastu, but she was too late. Before anyone could react he had covered the distance and had grabbed the syringe from her hand. Akira unleashed the whip form of Amastu and brought it down directly in front of her, but the ghoul was already twisting out of the way. He managed to dodge and as Akira turned to face him poised for battle, she found him injecting the liquid into the inner corner of his eye. Head tilted to the side, he still managed to keep his eye open and smiled almost maniacally down at her. It was a truly terrifying sight.

"Here, all done." He said as he pulled out the needle, seemingly unaffected by the pain, and extended out to her. She silently took it from him, her hand shaking ever so slightly, and noticed how he seemed to droop bit. She had given him enough suppressant to be foaming at the mouth, not to mention he had gotten the drop on her so fast. What on earth_ was _he?

"That is quite a heavy dose." he commented offhandedly as if reading her mind. "Now." He clasped his hands together. "Shall we get on with business?"

Akira was done trying to figure out the man, she could already feel a headache coming on. "Follow me." "The rest of you!" She motioned to the other ghoul investigators; "Be prepared and watch the prisoner at all times." Takeomi fell in line a few feet apart from the ghoul. He cast a glance over, and found the ghoul smirking over at him. He gave the investigator a subtle wink. Despite everything Takeomi couldn't help but smile a bit. There was a small part of him saying; '_Is this person really a ghoul?_'

XxXxXxXx

Haise Sasaki entered the 20th ward branch office, half expecting to see it half-destroyed or something to that effect. '_Mado-senpai never calls me about a problem. Ever._' he thought. What he did find was not what he was anticipated. "The hell happened here?" Shirazu asked to no-one in particular. He was carrying a sleeping Saiko on his back. They had managed to get her up this morning only to have her make Shirazu carry her, which made her fall back asleep.

"I-Is that blood?" Tooru said meekly, trying to hide behind Sasaki. "Looks like it." Sasaki commented, looking around the whole lobby. Various cleaning crews were cleaning up the red liquid and something in the air smelled particularly terrible. There was someone he didn't recognize. A young brown-haired woman was behind the receptionist desk.

Urie noticed as well; "New receptionist." The rest of the squad save Sasaki, Urie and a sleeping Saiko looked over at the new employee.

"C'mon. Lets congratulate her on her first day!" Sasaki replied cheerily, trying to bring some uplifting energy.

'_We should be finding out about what happened here, not..whatever "this" is._'Urie thought. They approached the young lady and as she noticed them she gave them a smile but Sasaki could see it was forced.

"Hello, miss." She visibly flinched at his words and he wondered what he said wrong. "Umm..did I say something..?

"No!" she blurted out, causing the squad to lean back a bit. "No.." she said again, this time composed. "Are you Sasaki-san?" she asked nervously. "That's right" He answered with a smile. Poor woman was clearly frightened about something.

"Mado-san said you should head to interrogation room number thirteen."

Sasaki's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. The blood..interrogation room...did they capture someone? or _something_?

"Alright. Thanks a lot..."

Rio stared in bewilderment for a second, until she realized she was suppose to introduce herself. "Hoshino. Rio Hoshino." she bowed at the investigator.

"Thanks, Hoshino-san!" Sasaki waved. Tooru smiled kindly at the woman, Shirazu gave his toothy grin, Saiko continued to sleep, and Urie avoided eye-contact as he turned to follow his _superiors_.

XxXxXxXx

There was a knock on the windowless metal door of the room and Akira cast a glance at Takeomi to open the door. The ghoul had said nothing the entire time save for "Lets wait for this 'Sasaki' individual".

Takeomi opened the door and Sasaki traded pleasantries with him. He bowed slightly to Akira, and when he saw the person sitting across the metallic table he stopped. Everything seemed to stop. His breathing, his heart rate, and time seemed to have stood still. Then in a blink of an eye it was over, and Shirazu bumped into him from behind. "Ouch. Sas-san what's the hold up." The ghoul was just sitting there staring at him, but Sasaki knew there was something deeper in those eyes.

"N-Nothing, but I think you guys should stay outside for this." he said, while turning around and trying to usher them out.

"Eh?" Shirazu asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Now now. Let your subordinates in, Sasaki-san. This should be a learning experience for them." The new voice made Shirazu look over Sasake's shoulder and let out a small "Whoa.."

Akira rubbed her temples; she was getting another headache. "Just let them in." Sasaki reluctantly complied, allowing all of them to shuffle in before he turned around. Urie had positioned himself over in the corner watching the man intently, Tuuro was seated next to Akira trying to act as small as possible. Shirazu, with some difficulty, managed to have Saiko slouching in one of the chairs. Her head smacked against the metal table, but she didn't wake up so Shirazu assumed she was fine.

When Takeomi shut the door, the man smiled as he regarded the newcomers. "So the CCG does have some aspiring young investigators." Akira inwardly groaned; '_Here we go..'_

"Ah?" Shiruza questioned, cocking an eyebrow up. He turned to Tooru; "Is this guy for real?" he asked incredulously. Tooru, now under the stare of both her superior and the highly intimidating prisoner, shrank back. "I-It would appear so."

"Yes, I am. In fact, I am "For real" almost all of the time."

"Almost?"

The man nodded. "Only time I'm not is when I am stringing along young CCG investigators."

Sasaki couldn't help it, he snorted at that. Takeimo smiled slightly from behind him. Akira shot both a 'no-nonsense' look. Shirazu looked over at his mentor. "Whata laughing over there for? What did he mean by that!"

"He means you're an idiot." Urie pipped up from his corner. "The hell did you say?!" Shirazu glared over his squadmate.

Laughter erupted from the other side of the table as the man threw his head back. His laughter was loud and clear, and everyone was a bit shocked.

After his laughter died down, his eyes set on the sleeping one of the bunch. He gave Sasaki a quick look and slid his eyes over to Akira.

"May I?" he asked as he gestured over to Saiko. Everyone in the room visibly tensed. Sasaki, now completely serious, narrowed his eyes at the man. "What do you plan to do?" he asked. His voice as cold as steel.

"Simple." he gazed at Sasaki with an even look. "Wake her up. I believe everyone should be present and alert for the interrogation." Quinx squad was doubtful. Nothing could rouse her when she was in dreamland.

"I've already had RC suppressant injections, so-" "You're a ghoul?!" Shirazu exclaimed. Urie tensed like a coiled spring, he said nothing but he now glared venomously at the ghoul.

Sasaki casted a questioning stare at the back of Akira's head. "Mado-senpai?" he inquired. "Just get this over with. He knows that if he does anything remotely threatening he'll be signing his death warrant."

Sasaki was still skeptical, as he eyed the ghoul uneasily. "How about this? If I do anything that is not to your liking, you can break my fingers one by one. Deal?" He proposed. After a brief moment Sasaki gave in. Shirazu grounded his teeth together but said nothing.

The ghoul leaned forward and extended his arm out. With his pointer finger he inched closer to Saiko's head, everyone in the room silently waiting for him to lunge or attack. When his finger was about one inch away, Saiko immediately sat up, wide-eyed and pale, making Shirazu and Tuuro lean back in shock. The force of her moving titled the chair backwards and she ended up sprawling out over the floor.

"U-ugh, the heck happened." she groaned as she picked herself off the floor. Blinking drowsily, she took in her surroundings with half-lidded eyes.

Urie looking pissed off. Check.

Shirazu looking at her like a doting parent or pissed off at her for sleeping so long. Check.

Sexy man in a tux with freaky eyes giving her a somewhat creepy smile. Check.

Tooru looking scared and/or nervous and/or being a wimp. Check.

Mado being Queen B. (B for-

Wait. What was that 3rd one?

Siako's head snapped so fast to face the ghoul, that he was pretty sure she got whiplash. She rubbed her eyes looked at him again lazily.

"Who's the hunk with the weird eyes?" she finally asked.

"Nice of you to join us, I assume you had pleasant dreams." the aforementioned "hunk" asked.

"Would be better if you were in them.." Sasaki and Shirazu almost choked on their own spit.

Akira slapped her hand down on the metal surface. "_Enough_." she spat with so much enmity that even Urie shrunk back a bit. "I think we are all ready to begin. Now, first question."

The white haired ghoul nodded in understanding. He leaned-back into his chair shifting one leg over the other.

Urie bit the inside of his cheek so hard it drew blood. '_Why are they interrogating a ghoul here? He should be locked up or killed._' He thought as he glared down at the sitting ghoul. '_If i somehow am able to help in his capture..._' Urie knew he would get recognized for sure.

"State your name, birthplace, and age."

The ghoul bit back a comment on how that wasn't a question and answered;"I don't have a name." Everyone in the room narrowed their eyes in suspicion.

"I have gone by many aliases in my thirty-three years of life, but my original name...I have no memory of it." Tuuro began to jot down notes. "I was born in the first ward..."

"The first ward is all but inhabitable to ghouls, there is now way you lived there." Sasaki stated. "Correct. I said I was born there. I did not live in the first ward."

"Your most well known alias then." Akira demanded.

The ghoul tilted his head up and his eyes traced the square tiles of the ceiling, deep in thought.

"Bushidō"

"That's a _lie_" Urie spat out. "Ghouls don't have honor."

"Urie, thats-"Sasaki began.

"You're partially true. Some ghouls do not have honor, but the same could be said for humans." Bushidō stated, cocking his head in Urie's direction. "Does the man who steals and kills in the cover of night have honor? Maybe." "What about the corrupt businessman who built his empire on the corpses of the poor and weak?"

"Don't try and compare us, ghouls and humans are nothing alike."

Chuckling at the young violet-haired man's ignorance Bushidō remarked. "On the contrary, we have more in common than you'd like to believe." A few tense seconds pasted as Urie glared down at the ghoul. "It must be hard...Being the son of a deceased ghoul investigator."

Sasaki visibly flinched, as did most of the Qunix squad. Urie was totally stunned, blank eyes starring into nothing. "W-What did you say." He whispered.

"All that anger and resentment you have coiled up inside..." Bushidō leaned in closer and whispered; "_How did it fell killing a ghoul for the first time?_" Urie snapped and lashed out with a fist, but the ghoul was faster. He leaned back and Urie's fist went sailing by.

"Yes!" he exclaimed "That feeling that you had, It is the same feeling a vengeance-fueled ghoul has when they kill a ghoul investigator for the first time. That self-satisfaction that they had paid for their transgressions." Urie was clenching his teeth so hard they almost shattered.

"Now tell me, do you think we are so different?" Bushidō grinned widely, knowing he had pushed the young man over the edge.

"SHUT UP!" Urie yelled in rage as his kagune unleashed from his back. He thrusted forward in blind anger but Bushidō twisted his body narrowly missing the blade, and pushed out with his legs causing himself and the chair to go sliding away as Urie brought his kagune down.

"Urie!" Sasaki and Shirazu yelled out. "That is enough! Stand down, That's an order-" Sasaki commanded.

'I don't take orders from ghouls.." Urie said coldly, glaring at him.

"Urie." Akira called. "Get out." she spat, disgust apparent in her tone and glare.

Urie hands shook and he grinded his teeth together in frustration. '_They are the ghouls and yet I'm..._'

He unwilled his kagune and quietly exited, anger clearly in his gait.

Akira sighed and assessed the damages. A medium-sized cut in the metal table and part of the wall was punctured. 'C_ould have been worse_.' she mused.

"So, you are the rumored Quinckes..."Bushidō muttered to himself. "I apologize for the boy's actions. I antagonized him quite a bit." Akira glared at Bushidō, who was just as bit relaxed as he was before, from his spot near the corner of the room. "That wasn't necessary."

"He needed a reality check." "Mankind is not as righteous and just as he thinks, nor are ghouls as evil or monstrous as humans tend to believe either." "To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge." he quoted.

"Socrates." Sasaki whispered to himself.

"I don't get it." Shirazu deadpanned and Siako bobbed her head lazily in agreement.

"He means that when you think you know something, you really don't. It forces you to think about it from different angles." Tooru explained.

"My, you're quite observant aren't you? ...Tell me, What do you see when you look at me?" Bushidō asked. Tooru gulped nervously,but he wouldn't back down. '_This is my chance to show that I am worthy of being an investigator._'

He met Bushidō's gaze and almost lost his will to speak, his eyes felt like they were piercing his soul. Tooru took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He began making a mental list of the ghoul's mannerisms and he could somewhat grasp his ideology. After a few seconds of deep thought he spoke up.

"You enjoy teaching people. You are not afraid of ghoul investigators, meaning you are either a very good actor or you are a powerful ghoul. You didn't even flinch when Urie attacked you and you managed to dodge it, meaning you are probably the latter."

"You respect humans and you try to reason with them, but at the same time you sympathize with ghouls...You understand that there is no white and black scenarios, there is always grey areas." Tooru stated gaining more confidence as he spoke. He was acutely aware then, that everyone's eyes were on him and he faltered. "Y-you're also sort of...intimidating." he finished quietly looking down at his lap.

"Whoa...That was pretty deep Tooru." Shirazu contimpented. "Who knew you could look so deeply with only one eye." Siako added. "D-Don't tease me, guys!" he complained.

Shurazu spoke up then; "How'da know about Urie's dead father?"

"I didn't, but I assumed he had suffered a loss by the way he reacted to me be being a ghoul. He had been staring at me very menacingly."

Akira cleared her throat, catching the attention of all of them. "Are you done?" she asked, looking over at Bushidō.

'_My, my. She sure does catch on fast._' he pondered.

"Yes, anymore questions?"

Akira asked the rest of her formal questions, and he answered them.

"The heads in the bag that you brought. You said it contained ghoul heads, correct?" Tuuro paled, but managed to continue writing. Sasaki shot Takeomi a questioning glance, but he just shook his head.

"Yes, they are. Would you like to know where the bodies are?"

"You have the bodies?" Akira asked genuinely surprised. Bushidō nodded; "Yes, and they are all S-rating and higher type ghouls." Tooru's pencil lead broke, as all of them stared in shocked silence.

"E-Excuse me?" Akira asked; Disbelief clear in her voice. "I have exactly eight S-rating ghoul and four SS-rating ghoul bodies in hiding." he said lacing his fingers together and leaning forward.

"Something like that is..." Sasaki began. "Sasaki-san. I pride myself on not being a liar, I came here on my own free will to sit before you today. What reason do I have to lie?" He reached into his tux and pulled out a photo. It showed twelve headless bodies all lined up in a row.

"So this is what it's all about." Akira interjected. "You want something in exchange for the bodies."

"A bargain...that tips heavily in your favor." Bushidō confirmed. "In exchange for the bodies, I want to help you in your investigations. Taking down the ghouls that are a detriment to society. The ones that would rather rip open your body and feast on your organs than let you live."

"Absolutely not." "And why not?" he asked, eyes boring into hers. "The CCG working with a ghoul? It would go against everything we stand for." Sasaki inwardly flinched at her words.

"...and what do you stand for Mado-san? Hmm?" Akira was not going to fall for his ploy. She glared and said "It wouldn't be my choice to make, my superiors would have to decide and they would never-"

A single knock came from the other side of the door and the Quinx investigators jumped at the sound. Takeomi looked over at Akira almost nervously, as if to say '_You know you this is..' _Akira gave him a single nod, and he slowly turned the handle and opened the door.

Kishou Arima stood in the doorway regarding all of them with an apathetic expression.

"A-Arima.." Sasaki greeted.

Bushidō let out a low whistle; "So this is the CCG's Reaper. A pleasure to meet you Kishou Arima."

* * *

**A.N) #uriegetsrekt haha, I kid of course. (not really). Did I butcher them too much? I hope not :X**

**Again, if you could kindly review it would make my life. Thanks.**

**Also, CLIFFHANGER!**


	4. Tear-stained Coffee

**A.N) Fourth chapter everyone! A big Thank You to everyone who has read so far. I feel my writing getting better with every chapter. Beware the Feels Train this chapter... :P**

**Akira has an office because...reasons!**

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* * *

The atmosphere in the room seemed to drastically decrease, and for a split second Saiko thought she saw sparks fly between the two men. '_The final boss has appeared!_' she thought.

Arima casted a brief glance over Qunix squad. He turned to Sasaki; "Get them out of here."

"R-Right. Come on guys! We need to review our casework!" He ushered them out, and snuck a quick glance at the ghoul before leaving. Bushidō winked at him and Sasaki wondered how he could be so calm in this situation. Arima also relieved Takeomi, the latter bowed and exited.

Arima silently made his way next to Akira and sat down. "You move with such grace, a pity you are drenched in death." The ghoul commented. Amira turned to Akira ignoring the provocation; "You may leave now Mado-san." Akira looked at him uncertainly; "Are you sure?"

Arima nodded, smiling a little at her concern. Akira nodded in return, handing him Tuuro's paper with the background information. She rose from her seat and as she made her way to the door she heard Bushidō say; "There was exactly twenty-one times I could have killed you Mado-san. Please remember that I did not."

'_Don't turn around. Don't say anything. Do not give him the satisfaction of it_' Akira breathed deep, opened the door and left without looking back.

"Hmm. She's learning." Bushidō mused out loud. "That's good."

The ghoul then regarded Arima, who was reading Tuuro's notes. He had one hand holding the leadless pencil, and Bushidō immediately sensed the danger. He didn't think, he just reacted. He managed to catch the pencil one centimeter before it would have impaled his eyeball.

"Almost, Arima-san. Though I have to commend you, If I had been any slower you would have blinded me." Bushidō praised. He extended the pencil back out to him. "Tools like these shouldn't be used for harm, wouldn't you agree?"

Amira's eyes slid from the ghoul to the pencil in his outstretched hand. "..Interesting." He took the pencil and placed it on top of the paper. "Is there something you'd like to ask?" Bushidō questioned.

"Your eyes...Why are they like that?" Arima inquired. Bushidō was genuinely surprised, he didn't think Arima was _this_ kind of person.

"Before I answer, let me ask you a question." Arima narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, but nodded nonetheless. The ghoul leaned forward, forearms leaning on the table. His stare bore into Arima, his orbs seemingly coming to life as they danced like white-hot fire. "Do you know what it feels like to be _truly_ alone?"

Arima pursed his lips into a line and after a long pause answered; "No, I don't." "Then I'm sorry but I can't answer your question." Arima didn't feel upset, in fact he felt a bit...relieved. Maybe he really didn't want to know the answer after all.

CCG's reaper now looked at the photo that had been laid out. He inspected it, lifting it closer to his face. Bushidō was about to re-explain his intentions, when Arima interrupted him.

"You're free to leave." he said as he placed the photo into his uniform. There was a long silence that passed between the two, until the white-haired ghoul genuinely smiled at Amira. "It seems like a shinigami* can be merciful." Arima silently watched him stand up and walk around the table. Bushidō stopped when he placed his hand on the door knob. "Even death has a heart." he quoted as he pulled the door open and left.

XxXxXx

A week passed by and Arima had almost everything in place. Akira had provided most of the information for him. He meet secretly with with the head chairman, and explained the situation. After a great deal of thinking, the chairman agreed but warned that if there wasn't results there would be "dire consequences". Akira had solved the problem of the RC cell detectors by having the new receptionist be given a switch that turned them off for a few seconds.

"Umm..." Rio wanted to say something but she was a bit hesitant. "Yes?" Akira asked as she handed the remote over. "Is this about that frightening man?" she questioned as she shifted her weight nervously.

'_Poor woman_.' She thought. "Unfortunately, yes." She looked around to see if anyone was listening or looking in their direction. "He is going to be helping us from now on. The heads that you saw were ghouls." Rio paled at the mention of the memory but she nodded. "I understand Mado-san." "Thank you Hoshino-san." The young receptionist smiled meekly after the first class investigator.

Akira had briefed Sasaki on the new addition to the team and only hoped he could somehow convince the rest of his squad to play nice. The main problem would be to actually contact Bushidō. They had heard nothing from him since his first appearance. Not even an ambiguous letter, which was starting to make her feel uneasy. As she neared her office, Akira noticed a cleaning cart that the janitors use parked outside her room.

'_The janitors shouldn't even be on this floor yet, let alone be cleaning offices...'_' she thought, confused. Then a thought occurred to her and she furrowed her eyebrows in fury. '_no no no no, he didn't; that son of a..._'

Sure enough, she found Bushidō relaxing in her chair feet crossed and propped up on the desk. He was disguised in a janitor's navy blue jumpsuit, and he had that obnoxious smile plastered on his face that she wanted to slap off. "Ah, good morning Mado-san. Your office is in perfect-"

"Shut it." she snapped as she stomped into the office. She scowled down at the ghoul. "How did you get in here without going through the front doors?" she demanded.

"Easy. I used the roof exit to get in, then I knocked one of the janitors unconscious and stole his clothing...He's in one of the stalls of the men's restroom by the way."

She wasn't even going to ask how he had gotten on the roof in the first place. Akira pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. Great...just great. "First of all, get out of my chair." He obeyed, sliding his feet off the desk, and sat in one of the opposite chairs. Akira settled into her chair, and noticed how it smelled of cologne. '_Gross.._' she thought. It seemed everything this man did was for the sole purpose to piss her off. To his credit it was starting to work.

He opened his mouth to speak, but she glared fiercely and he thought better of it. They were on the same side now after all. "Secondly, Arima somehow got confirmation from HQ to add you to Qunix squad. You will be under the command of squad leader Ginshi Shirazu."

"Is that the shark looking boy?" Akira almost cracked a smile. Almost. She nodded and Bushidō nodded back in acknowledgement. "He'll make a good leader, just needs to get stronger."

"They all do."

He hummed in agreement. "You're going to have to reconcile with Urie. You won't be a cohesive unit otherwise." She commented giving him a pointed look.

"I'll do my best, but the boy needs a lot of time and consoling. I'll try to not pick a fight with him anymore, if that's what you're asking."

"That's the least you could do. Thirdly, don't use the roof to come in anymore. The receptionist at the front has a device that disables the ghoul detectors."

"The pretty chestnut-haired woman?"

"Yes, you traumatized the poor woman. You should apologize...wait, no. Don't do that; Knowing you, you'd make it even worse."

"Such cruel words, Mado-san."

"I told you not to call me that. Now, get out and report to Sasaki." The ghoul nodded and stood up and stripped off the jumpsuit, revealing his black tux. "Oh. Change your appearance. If you go out looking like that you might be recognized by the others." she commented. Bushidō cracked a wry smile at her. "Is that concern in your voice?"

"Just do it, you imbecile."

Bushidō turned to the mirror and reached into his inner pocket of his tuxedo to pull out a comb. Akira raised an eyebrow. Giving his reflection a self-calculating stare Bushidō combed his hair forward, causing his bangs to fall in front of his eyes. Fixing a few stray hairs, he turned to Akira. "Well?"

"...You look more...ghoulish." she said. '_Oh god. Sasaki's puns are rubbing off on me.._' It was true, He no longer looked like a refined gentleman. His white hair was spiked up in a few places and the hair in his eyes made his orbs that much more menacing.

"Are you saying that I looked more human before?" Akira pointed to the door. "Out."

The ghoul let out a lighthearted chuckle but did what he was told, waving his hard in a silent goodbye over his shoulder as he left.

XxXxXx

Sasaki was not quite sure how to break the news. He supposed he should have just told them, but with how Urie was lately he didn't think it was the best idea. Which was okay for him, he was trying to think of a pun he could use for _that_ situation.

Sitting in one of the work rooms, they were discussing the latest case: "Nutcracker". None of them noticed the figure who was leaning against the doorway.

"So this S-rated ghoul is called Nutcracker." Sasaki began.

"Don't tell me this ghoul..." Shirazu cringed. "Yup. Nutcracker crushes its prey's testicles and drinks the fluid...or something like that."

Sasaki made a cracking sound and squished his hands together. Shirazu looked like he was going to hurl. Turoo twisted his hands in his lap; "T-that sounds painful.."

Saiko mumbled "Protect...the..balls.." as she slept soundly, her face against the table. Urie was nowhere to be found, though he was sure to turn up sooner or later.

"Nutcracker eh? Sounds like we might have our work cut out for us." a voice said. The group save for Saiko turned towards the sound.

"...Uh. Who the heck are ya?" Shirazu tilted his head in confusion. The man leaning on the doorframe looked familiar, but he just couldn't put his finger on who it was...

"I'm hurt. It has only been a week and you forget about me?" Bushidō faked a pout.

Realization dawned on Shirazu and he jumped out of seat in surprise."YOUR-MMPH!" Sasaki slapped a hand over his mouth. "Quiet!" he hissed. "But, boss!" He began to protest. "Sit down, relax and I'll explain." As Sasaki explained, Bushidō sat down in the chair across of Shirazu.

"He's going to be working with us?" Turoo asked skeptically. "That's bullshit!" Shirazu exclaimed angrily, glaring at the man across from him. Sasaki sighed. He knew this wasn't going to go over well.

"If it makes you feel better, I am to be your subordinate; Squad leader Shirazu." Bushidō addressed formally. "Eh? But you're stronger than me. Why would they do that?"

"Strength isn't everything. You've got a good heart, you care about your comrades, and most importantly you value the lives of others before yourself."

"H-How.." Shirazu managed to say, totally stunned at the ghoul's words. "I've got a good judge of character, your feelings and emotions are also easy to read."

"Uhh..Thanks?" Shirazu wasn't sure if it was a compliment or an insult. "Your welcome, Squad leader Shirazu."

Sasaki smiled at their interaction; '_Maybe this won't be so bad._' he thought.

"So. This Nutcracker. Does it have any connections to other ghouls?" Bushidō asked; Getting straight down to business.

"Y-Yes. Nutcracker is to believed an employee of "Big Madam". No other known connections." Turoo explained. Bushidō's eyes narrowed; "I know that name... Big Madam runs the human trafficking ring. Even among the ghouls, she is known for being disgustingly sadistic and cruel."

All three ghoul investigators looked at him,a bit shocked by his attitude. "So you don't like her?"

"Of course not! As Turoo observantly explained last week, I have respect for humans. I don't have respect for ghouls who see humans as mere livestock."

'_Respect for humans.._' Something about that phrase was familiar. Sasaki couldn't exactly remember what it was, but he had a hunch it was important. "_Manager..._" a small voice whispered in the back of his mind.

"Sas-san, you okay?" Shirazu asked. Sasaki snapped out of his stupor; "Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"Um...well.." Shirazu avoided eye contact.

"You're crying." Bushidō stated. "Eh?" Sasaki lifted his hand to his cheek. Sure enough it was wet with tears. "O-Oh. I guess I was moved by your speech." Shirazu and Turoo seemed to have bought the excuse, but Bushidō knew there was a something else behind it.

The ghoul shrugged, he would find out eventually.

It seemed Saiko woke up on her own as they discussed more on the case. Shirazu brought her up to speed on the situation, while Sasaki and Bushidō discussed about strategies they could use.

"You know I could go undercover and assimilate into their ranks."

Sasaki shook his head. "We don't have enough information on exactly how Nutcracker is affiliated with Big Madam. Doing something that reckless with so little information won't be good."

Bushidō nodded in understanding. "Alright. Just an idea then. I'm still new to this, you'll have to teach me more about this investigator business Sasaki-senpai." he joked.

"S-senpai? But you're way older than me!" Then a genius thought struck him. "Ah! I got it!." he exclaimed. Slamming a hand on the table. He turned to the ghoul next to him. "You're a real 'ghoul' ghoul investigator!'"

Shirazu and the rest of them groaned at his lame pun, but Bushidō laughed out loud.

After a few more hours of discussing details, Bushidō had more of an understanding about the case. "Ah, this Wednesday we will be traveling to the thirteenth ward to meet with Suzuya's team to discuss more details." Sasaki told them.

"..._That_ Suzuya?" Shirazu said, looking a bit concerned. Sasaki nodded and went on to explain how he first met the associate special-class investigator.

'_Juuzou Suzuya..._' Bushidō mused. _'A young aspiring investigator who has climbed the ranks swiftly._ _Interesting..._'

"Well...How about we celebrate on the newest addition to our group?" Sasaki asked as he sorted the Nutcracker files. Placing them into a folder, he rose from the desk.

"Oh? I didn't know my addition caused for a celebration."

"Of course it does. While I admit having a full fledged ghoul on the team is a bit strange. You've managed to be helpful, and on the first day to boot."

Saiko yawned and looked up at Bushidō as he stood up from his chair. She stretched out her arms at him; "My prince, your princess demands you carry her."

"The hell is wrong with you." Shirazu asked. Saiko just stuck her tongue out at him, while Turoo shook his head at the scene. Bushidō complied, rather hentaintly, and Sasaki smiled at the spectacle.

'_I wonder if things will always be like this..._' he wondered. Sasaki touched his chin as he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.

With Saiko piggy-backing on Bushidō, they made their way towards the lobby. Sasaki casted a glance at the receptionist at the front. She was watching them out of the corner of her eye. He looked back and nodded towards Bushidō, signaling that everything was good to go. Most of the other investigators that they pasted just gave them strange looks, wondering who the new person was.

"Hey, lets try that coffee place. I've never been there before." Turoo commented offhandedly.

"Ah. What was it called? :Re or something like that, right?" Shirazu said trying to recall.

Turoo nodded. '_Coffee...I haven't had coffee in a _very _long time. Not since...' _Bushidō reminisced.

They made their way out of the CCG office without a hitch, and Tuuro guided them towards the coffee shop. Entering the shop, Sasaki made a joke about having a nose kagune.

The shop's interior was beautifully arranged. A deer head was mounted on the wall near the door. Various ornaments and books were set up along the walls on shelves.

'_This is..._' Bushidō thought.

He noticed a tall elegant man standing behind the bar counter who was staring at Sasaki. At first glance, it would seem that he was merely regarding new customers but Bushidō could see something a bit more in his stare. Almost as if he _knew_ the gray-haired investigator.

Bushidō barely heard what the others were talking about. He heard a female voice coming from the left. Turning his head, he saw a beautiful waitress walk out to greet them.

"-How many times do I have to tell you..to greet our customers.." she said.

Time seemed to slow down for Sasaki. He noticed all the little details about the woman. The way her black apron hung snugly around her slender collarbone, how her light bluish silver hair fell bit below her ears, and even though she was looking at him with one eye he felt she was staring into the depths of his soul.

Then he blinked and it was over. She lead them over to a half-booth half-chair table. When she realized there was only four seats she apologized and brought over a fifth chair, sliding it into place.

Turoo, noticing that both Sasaki and Bushidō were in a daze, ordered the cups of coffee for everyone. Bushidō took the extra chair while Turoo and Shirazu sat across from each other. Saiko excused herself to use the bathroom, and Sasaki slid into the booth next to Tuuro.

Tuuro commented on how the waitress was "super cute". Sasaki had to agree; The woman was very beautiful. The dignified silver haired man made his way over to the table, abruptly sitting down in Saiko's seat. He gave Sasaki a hard stare, effectively shocking him out of his stupor.

"A-Ah. The order was five cups of coffee right?" he asked, a bit bewildered by the man's actions. The man said nothing, shooting a glance at Bushidō. Then as abruptly as he came, he left and went behind the counter as the waitress brought the coffee out.

"Delicious!" Turoo exclaimed. Shirazu grinned toothily in agreement. "It's a bullseye! I guess Sas-san's nose kangue wasn't bull after all!"

Sasaki took a sip from his coffee. "Yeah, ...It's tasty." he mumbled. And it was. Something in the back of his mind told him it tasted familiar...

"H-Huh?" He felt something wet on his face. "Woah, Is this some kinda new joke? You've cried twice today!" Shirazu said, grinning.

"N-No, It's strange...I wonder what this is..." Why was he being such a wimp today? Crying like a baby over seemingly random things.

"Here." The waitress handed him a napkin.

"Thank you..It's delicious...really.." he managed to say as he wiped his tears. '_This person...I think I made have had someone this beautiful in my life before..._'

"Thank you very much." She said. She smiled..in what Bushidō could only describe as melancholy. The almost tear on her lower eyelid did not escape his attention. He took a sip of his coffee, filing that information for later, and immediately dropped it in shock. The coffee split all over his pants and the coffeecup shattered on the ground.

"Ah! You okay man?" Shirazu asked, worry written on his face.

"Y-Yes, I believe so... Excuse me." The ghoul got up and made his way to the men's restroom. He entered the bathroom and placed a hand over his mouth. '_It tasted just like..._'

He heard the door open again, and he whirled around to find the well-built silver haired man staring back at him. "Y-You!" Bushidō exclaimed, He grabbed the man by his collared shirt and slammed him up against the tiled wall.

"Where is _he_! Where is Yoshimura!" he whispered harshly, anger and dread building up inside of him.

Yomo regarded the other ghoul with an almost pained expression. "The manager...He's _dead_."

* * *

**A.N) ****MUWAHAHAHA! I'm just so evil aren't I? Not even my OC can escape the FEELS!**

**EDIT: So, I've been told that Yoshimura was taken by One-Eyed Owl. I know this. Yomo does not know, therefore I made it so he thinks that the manager is dead.**

**On the tokyo ghoul wiki it says that touka seemingly dyed her hair so she could blend in as Yomo's sister. Since Yomo has silver hair I just made Touka have it as well. Though darker, because Touka's natural hair is blueish-violet. **

**(Shinigami)- this was a play-on-words to how the reaper is translated in japanese. Basically the english translation says Arima's nickname is reaper while the original japanese content reads shinigami (in kanji of course).**

****SPOILERS PERTAINING TO THE STORY. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK** So this is where the story will branch off into its own direction...sort of. I have plans for Nutcracker and Big Madam that don't involve what Ishida-sensei is currently doing in the manga. Expect twists and turns. Also, I know that the comedy is a bit much for a horror tagged fanfic but for what I have planned the fic will turn dark pretty soon. **

**Again, if you could review it would make my life. Thanks.**


	5. Rooftop Throwdown

**A.N) More feels this chapter! :P Broke 1,000 views yay!**

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**purpleswans: Thanks! This chapters kinda gets dark, hope you like!**

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* * *

"W-What did you say?"

"He's_ dead_" Yomo repeated. Bushidō didn't want to believe it. After what he had heard what happened at the twentieth ward three years ago pertaining to the Anteiku raid, a part of him knew deep down that the CCG had gotten to Yoshimura. He was just too stubborn to admit it to himself.

He slowly unclenched his hands around Yomo's shirt and stepped away. Turning towards the sink he leaned over it and stared into the metal drain in silence. Yomo knew exactly how this man was feeling. Anyone who knew the manager would feel some agony over his death. He was a ghoul who had respected and loved humans and ghouls equally. Truly something rare in this twisted and dark world. Yomo waited a few minutes before he spoke.

"There is an upper-level to the café that has a washer and dryer. Your welcome to stay and clean your clothes. I'll give you one of my dress pants in the mean time." Yomo offered.

Bushidō nodded. "Thank you.." Renji left the other ghoul to his thoughts. He walked back out into the café, noticing Touka speaking with the gray-haired man over by shelves with books. It was Kaneki, Yomo knew that much. Some parts were the same, some different, and some new. The grey hair was new. His personality seemed to be more aligned to his original black-haired self. The Kaneki now Looked like a cracked pane of glass. Fragments of himself were there but he seemed like a totally different person.

'_And__ he doesn't recognize us._' he thought as he walked back behind the counter and started cleaning glasses, keeping up appearances of a bartender. He couldn't imagine what Touka was feeling right now. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Yomo knew she had cared deeply for Kaneki. He still remembered those nights when they had first left to escape. He knew she was crying herself to sleep, but he did nothing. How could he? Yomo wasn't one to comfort others, but she had pulled through and became stronger because of it.

He heard the bathroom door open and turned to see the ghoul walk out and towards his table. He had to hand it to the ghoul, he put on a near perfect facade. Renji heard him explain that he would be staying longer due to his accident. They nodded in understanding, the pig-tailed short one seemed a bit depressed, and then paid the bill and left. Touka silently cleaned up the table as Bushidō made his way over to the bar counter.

"Whisky with ice please." Renji simply nodded and made the drink. Bushidō downed it in one go. He placed the glass down on the counter as if to say "One more". After he downed his second drink, Touka made her way past seemingly ignoring his presence. Like lightning, he reached out and grasped her arm in a firm grip.

"W-What are you-"she began to protest.

"You know that man. Both of you." He glanced back at Yomo and Yomo had to use all of his willpower not to advert his eyes.

To her credit Touka didn't show any signs of distress. "What man?" she asked, feigning ignorance. Bushidō stared hardened into reddish white metal; "Don't play coy with me." Touka's own orbs narrowed as she frowned at the sitting ghoul.

'_Classic Touka_' Yomo mused. The narrowed eyes, the frown, next would be- "I don't know who_ you_ think you are, but get your fucking hand off me before I rip it off." she growled. Threats. That was always after the frown. Yomo knew that all too well.

Bushidō smirked at the feisty woman, and Yomo wondered if he was drunk. "You're the exact opposite of your looks. Ladies shouldn't talk like that."

"_Fuck you._" she sneered trying to get out of the man's grip. Why the hell was he so strong? Yomo decided to intervene not wanting the bar to get demolished should Touka decided to really get angry. "He knew the manager."

That stopped her cold. "W-What?" She looked at the ghoul gripping her arm incredulously. Bushidō loosened his grip, let go of her arm and looked downcast. "It's true. Back when I was senseless foolish boy I met Yoshimura. He was the person who saved me from becoming a monster..."

There was a long silence that passed between the three of them. Bushidō's eyes seemed misty, as if he was recalling events from a lifetime ago. "He kicked your ass good, didn't he?" Touka asked trying to sound uplifting, but she almost broke down saying it.

To her surprise the ghoul laughed. "Damn right he did. Nearly killed me too, but that was because I was trying to kill him as well." After a long pause he added;"He told me that "He who fights monsters should take care that they do not become one themselves." That has stuck with me for over eighteen years."

"...Sounds like something he would say. He did like to give out advice." Touka reminisced fondly. "It's paraphrased from Friedrich Nietzsche actually." Bushidō stated.

'_The hell?...Is this guy a walking quote machine?_' Touka wondered offhandedly. Awkward silence followed for a few seconds before he spoke up again.

"I came to his coffee shop once." He blurted out, swishing the ice around in his glass. "It was after I graduated and had gotten my PhD... It was a busy day in the café, but he saw to it to serve me. I excitedly told him about my graduation, and he listened and smiled the whole time." He had a wistful smile as he recalled the memory. "It was the first and last I had his coffee." He looked back at Touka. "Well, maybe not the last. Your coffee tastes just like his.."

A single tear slid down Touka's cheek, she almost choked up at those words. "Thank you...Those words mean more than you know." Yomo used the heartfelt conversation to slip away and grab a pair of spare black dress pants. When Yomo returned, Bushidō said; "Thank you...for listening. He was a great man, who didn't deserve what he got." Neither of them said anything, but Bushidō knew they agreed with him. As Bushidō walked into the bathroom to change, Yomo turned to Touka. "He is very observant and _dangerous_."

Touka had to agree as she wiped the tear from her face. She had put on her best facade and this mysterious ghoul had seen right through it. Though she was very curious as to why a ghoul was with ghoul investigators. Speaking of ghoul investigators..."That was him wasn't...Kaneki came back.."

Yomo watched Touka's form quiver and he inwardly sighed. "Yes, but he came back in pieces..." Touka turned her head away and hugged her sides. '_At least he's not dead._' she thought. She repeated it like a mantra in her head, so it would drive away the heartache that threatened to rip her in two.

When Bushidō had fully changed, he noticed that the waitress had vanished. '_Smart girl, she knows I want to ask her more questions_' he thought. He returned to the bartender, coffee stained pants in tow. He handed over it to Yomo, and he asked; "I didn't catch your name." "Raven" the silver-haired bartender said as he walked away through the door that said 'Employees Only'.

Bushidō chuckled at the man's coldness. Taking a pen he stole from Akira's desk out of his tuxedo pocket, he grabbed a napkin from the bar a wrote a message. Then taking his trusty comb, he slicked back his hair and smiled solemnly to himself. Satisfied, he turned around and walked out the door into the crisp evening air.

When Yomo returned to see the shop empty, he wasn't entirely surprised. Going over to the bar he noticed a napkin with writing on it. He inwardly sighed. '_That guy is just too much...' _

Picking the napkin up, it read; "Keep the pants. You'd ought to have at least _some_ style now. No need to thank me. ~Bushidō"

'_Bastard..I_ do _have style._' Yomo thought as he frowned. '_Wait...__Bushidō..I know that name from somewhere.._'

XxXxXx

Wednesday rolled around quickly and Sasaki was thankful. He had managed to break the news to Urie, who was now shooting glares at Bushidō every few minutes. Needless to say the violet-haired teen was not happy but had accepted it because it came as orders from the top. Shirazu ended up carrying Saiko on his back this time since Bushidō was using every glare Urie gave him a chance to strike up a conversation.

"You know...I said I was sorry."

"..."

Tooru sighed from his seat on the train. Both were in the wrong but he didn't dare speak up lest Urie glower at him as well.

Sasaki couldn't get that waitress from a few days ago out of his mind. At first he thought it was because he liked her, but there was something _else_. Something...

"_Let me...see.." _a voice whispered from the abyss of his subconscious. '_No, go away. You shouldn't even be able to-_' "_Let m-me!...see..h-her!_" It stuttered louder. He felt a pressure starting to build up in his forehead.

'_Just be quiet and sleep!_'

"_L-let me see her..S-She's n-n-not y-yours..."_

'_Shut up..Just SHUT! UP!_' he mentally screamed.

'_NO! SHE'S M-MINE! (crack) YOU C-CAN'T PROTECT HER, YOU'RE WEAK!_' A wave of pain blossomed from his forehead and he reeled his head back in reflex causing him to smash his head into the train window behind him.

"Oww. Shit!" he cursed, rubbing his forehead. When he looked up he realized everyone in the vicinity was looking at him. He chuckled nervously; "Ahaha, sorry about that.." Sasaki then spent the rest of the train ride trying not to think about the waitress.

As they arrived in the thirteenth ward Bushidō wondered what this Sazuya character was like. He vaguely remembered Sasaki saying that he was a bit strange.

'_Should be interesting._'

XxXxXx

Tooru had gotten the remote device that disabled the detectors before they had left for the thirteenth ward, so they were able to get into the CCG office without much trouble. Upon entering the meeting room, Quinx squad was met with a loud; "HAISEE!~" A small...well _man _might not be the best word to describe him..or _her_ Bushidō thought. In fact he was having a hard time figuring out the gender of the man..uhh..woman-child.

He leaned towards Urie, who leaned away from him, and whispered; "Is that a boy or a girl?"

Despite Urie absolutely loathing the ghoul that was pestering him, he still managed to roll his eyes at the question.

Juuzou Suzuya ran up to Sasaki only to stick his hands in the other man's pants pockets.

"...The fuck?" Shirazu asked no-one in particular.

Sasaki explained as Juuzou rummaged around, that he had prepared treats for Juuzou beforehand and that it had become a tradition of sorts ever since they had been partners on certain cases. Finally finding the sweets Juuzou burst into a fit of whoopings.

Bushidō, never afraid to ask any question, decided to ask his question to the person_ in_ question, so he walked up and squatted down to eye level with Juuzuo. The Associate Special Class investigator blinked in surprise at the close proximity of the stranger but didn't falter or retreat.

"Hello Associate Special Class investigator Suzuya-san." The white-haired ghoul greeted formally.

Juuzou's nose twitched as the man's breath hit his face and he turned to Sasaki; "Who's this freak with the weird eyes?" he asked. If the insult had effected Bushidō he didn't show it. Shirazu chortled at Juuzou's bluntness, while Sasaki explained, a bit awkwardly, that he was the newest member of their squad.

Juuzou let out an audible "Ohhhh~". He turned back to Bushidō and smiled; "Nice to meet~cha! Your breath smells like shit. Do you _ever_ brush your teeth?"

Shirazu couldn't help it, he laughed out loud almost dropping Saiko in the process. Tooru was a bit taken back by Juuzou's vulgar use of language, Urie inwardly smiled taking pleasure in the fact that the white-haired ghoul was on the receiving end for once. Sasaki hung his head at his friend insulting his subordinate.

Bushidō just smiled saying; "Ah. I did forget to brush my teeth this morning. My apologizes."

'_Only after a few moments in meeting and he already suspecting I'm a ghoul... Very interesting indeed._' Bushidō mused.

A cough interrupted the scene as a long blacked haired man made his presence known. Hanbee Abara did not like the stare that the newcomer was giving his captain. It was too..calculating.

"It seems everyone is here. We can began the meeting now." Hanbee gestured over to the table. Juuzou happily complied, munching down on his snacks. Bushidō made it a point of sitting down next to Urie.

As Hanbee explained their findings, Bushidō narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Everything looked..._too _easy. Using Nutcracker to get Madam via tracking Nutcracker's quota sounded like a great plan, but something seemed off. Big Madam was no idiot, she would cover her tracks. The CCG wasn't taking in the fact the Madam would anticipate an attack. And if she was ready for them...

'_It would be a disaster.._' he thought grimly.

"Do you think this will go as smoothly as you believe?" he asked when Hanbee had finished. All eyes turned to him.

"What exactly do you mean?" Hanbee questioned. He narrowed his eyes, watching Bushidō's every movement. Hanbee was definitely wary of this man.

"I mean no disrespect to the investigations and hard work you've done on this case, but don't you think Big Madam will expect some sort of CCG infiltration?"

"Yes we have thought of such an occurrence, but even so this is the best plan." Hanbee stated. '_What exactly is this man trying to get at.._'

"You're right..but let's say hypothetically that Big Madam knows about the heightened CCG activity in this ward where her employee works. Something like that would make her reevaluate her plans. Make her cautious." As he talked he shifted one leg over the other.

Hanbee nodded, it was plausible that Big Madam would have that reaction.

"So she sets a trap. Lures her adversaries into something they can't resist, then..." Using his fist he slammed it down on the table, the sound resonating through the room. "Checkmate."

A few tense quiet moments pass between the two squads before Sasaki spoke up. "So you're saying that this is a ruse for Big Madam to crush the CCG teams in pursuit of her?"

Bushidō shrugged. "I'm not saying anything. It was merely a different outlook on the topic."

Juuzou's eyes narrowed. '_A ghoul's outlook.._' he thought.

"Well, your perspective is interesting. If Madam is really expecting us then we will need to take extra precautions. I'll mention it in a report to Associate Special Class Washuu-san." Hanbee commented, although the slender Rank Two Investigator doubted the Associate Special Class would even read his report...

Bushidō nodded, satisfied with the slender man's answer. He slid eyes away from Hanbee and to Juuzuo, who was still staring at him. A brilliant idea came to him then, one that would benefit both squads. Especially since he himself was a ghoul. It would be risky but he knew it would pay off.

"Suzuya-san, I have an idea you might like." The stitched investigator raised both eyebrows.

"You too, Sasaki-senpai. It will help the squad for the coming battles." he looked over at his superior. Sasaki didn't like the way he said battles with the smile on his face.

"I propose a training session. Since Quinx squad is fairly new, what better way to improve than with a bit of practice?"

'_Oh no. Absolutely not! If Suzuya's squad found out he was a ghoul then..!_' Sasaki thought, his mind racing. He was about to protest when Urie cut him off. "Sounds great."

Shirazu did a double take in Urie's direction. "D-Did you just agree with him!" Urie glared at him. "Yes, I did." "But, you hate-"

"SOUNDS AWESOME!~~" Juuzuo exclaimed throwing up his stitched arms in excitement. "Hanbee. Grab my quinque~." He skipped over to the door and looked back at everyone pointing his finger towards the ceiling. "Lets go~. To the roof! There's enough space up there!"

Sasaki sagged into his chair. Great. Just great. A hand clasped onto his shoulder and he turned towards the owner. "Dont worry. I won't do anything that will give away my identity" Bushidō whispered. "It will just be a friendly bout of sparring. I'm sure Urie wants to blow off some steam against me anyways."

Sasaki nodded somewhat solemnly. "I'm starting to think I may not be the best teacher for them..."

"It's understandable to think like that. You believe that I am teaching them better than you have when I've only been around for a few days."

"How did you know that?" Sasaki questioned. '_It's almost like he is reading my mind..._' he thought.

"I have a PhD in psychology. I know how people think and act. But, be that as it may, you are their superior. Their _leader_. They look to you to guide them."

Sasaki then understood why the ghoul was able to come so far in becoming a CCG investigator. He knew exactly what to say to someone to get them angry, inspired, or get them to comply to his negotiations. However, it was very hard to tell if he was being truthful or not. No doubt Bushidō had something up his sleeves.

"You're right. Don't forget I'm also your superior as well." He said seriously. The ghoul didn't laugh and only nodded saying; "Now you're learning too." before getting up and following the rest off them out the door.

XxXxXx

Thankfully it wasn't a windy day and the sun was shining brightly down on the white concrete roof of the CCG's thirteenth ward branch office. On one end of the roof Juuzou's squad stood, with Juuzou holding his syche across his shoulders, its tip pointing towards the sky.

Sasaki and his group was on the other end. Shirazu and Urie seemed eager to fight, while Tooru looked reluctant. Saiko seemed to have fallen asleep somehow, and was now sunbathing on the ground.

"Well, I will volunteer myself as the first combatant." Bushidō offered, knowing full well who would he be up against first. As he made his way to the middle of the roof, he heard footsteps behind him and he inwardly smirked. '_So impatient..._'

He turned around to find Urie a few feet away from him, an intense look of hatred on his face.

"This is only sparring...You look like you're going to kill someone."

"I'm planning too." Urie spat low enough for only him to hear. He summoned his koukaku kagune which extended to its full length in a matter of seconds. Its metallic carapace gleaming in the sunlight.

"That's quite the kagune you have there. It would be dangerous if you aimed it-" Bushidō didn't get to finish his sentence as he dodged Urie's strike.

"No more talking." Urie said as he let loose three quick strikes which the ghoul all dodged effortlessly. Urie gritted his teeth in frustration, and let out a shout as he stepped forward to deliver a powerful thrust attack. Bushidō merely sidestepped, brought his leg up and kicked Urie square in the chest sending him sprawling on his back a few feet away.

"You rely on your kagune too much. Try moving while attacking." Bushidō advised.

"I. said. NO MORE TALKING!" Urie roared as he leaped up and brought his kagune down on Bushidō. Bushidō pivoted around the strike then grappled Urie out of midair and twisted again slamming him down into the concrete.

"Listen to me." he said as he placed his foot on Urie's chest and leaned down over him. "I'm trying to help you. If you don't listen to my advice, _I beat it into you_."

Urie just glared hatefully at the ghoul above him. Bushidō sighed and stepped off of him. "Squad leader Shirazu!" he called.

"Whata want?!"

"With your permission I'd like it if you could join in on this fight as well."

"Yeah sure- I mean, permission granted." Shirazu said trying to affirm his authority.

Shirazu joined Urie as Urie picked himself up off the ground. Shirazu gave the violet-haired teen a toothy grin. "He beat your ass good."

"Shut up." Urie said between gritted teeth. He would not let this ghoul bastard get the best of him.

Shirazu willed his kagune into existence, and Bushidō mentally noted how it was a Ukaku type.

"Are you both ready?" he asked as he settled into a fighting stance. Urie didn't answer and rushed his opponent, while Shirazu covered for Urie by shooting his projectiles whenever Bushidō seemed to get the upper hand.

Juuzou watched the fight with mild interest. He knew the white-haired man was toying with the others but it didn't really matter. There was no way they could beat him. He was just looking forward to his fight...

Tooru watched, transfixed on how Bushidō was able to dodge and weave everything that was thrown his way.

"He's avoiding everything..." He said to himself. Sasaki nodded, although he knew the reason both of them couldn't even touch their opponent.

'_Experience. They lack the combat experience to even manage to hit __Bushidō..._' he thought. They needed to become stronger before their first real mission, but would they have enough time? Sasaki was beginning to doubt it.

'_Dodge left, lean back, sidestep and counter, dodge again..._' Bushidō planned out his moves milliseconds before he executed them. In the heat of battle he was calm and calculating, not moving needlessly and evading by a hairs width every time. Then Shirazu let out a volley of missiles at the same time Urie went to strike.

'_Now they are working together. Good, but... It won't be enough._' Sasaki mused. Bushidō dug his heels into the roof and rocketed himself forward, narrowly missing the trajectiles, straight past Urie and grabbed Shirazu by his collar as he past. Stomping his foot, Bushidō came to a halt twisting as he did. Grabbing Shirazu's belt with his other hand, Bushidō threw Shirazu into Urie. Urie, unable to take the weight of Shirazu and his kagune, fell backwards and they tumbled together kagune and all.

Folding his arms under his chest Bushidō smirked as the two young CCG investigators untangled themselves. "That last combo attack was good. You've improved." He gave them a round of applause for good measure.

'_Bastard was toying with me..I'll make him pay!_' Urie thought bitterly. "Urie man..give it a rest already." Shirazu said, sweating and gasping for breath. Urie was hardly aware of his own state of exhaustion, as he narrowed his eyes at his squad leader. "You can but I-"

"No." Bushidō interrupted. "I'm done sparring with you, or what I mean is since squad leader Shirazu cannot continue due to physical exhaustion the sparring has ended."

Shirazu nodded gratefully and managed to stumble back towards the others. Urie gave one final glare before he reluctantly shuffled back as well.

"Tooru." Sasaki called. The dark-skinned teenager looked over at his superior. "Y-Yes?" Sasaki gestured over to Bushidō. "You're up next."

"W-What? No way!" He protested shaking his head rapidly. "C'mon. It's just a round of training. Nothing to be afraid of." Sasaki reasoned.

Tooru twisted his hands in his lap. "Well, alright...I'll try." Tooru advanced slowly, drawing his concealed quinque daggers.

Bushidō regarded Tooru almost sympathetically. The look vanished when Tooru took a battle stance a few feet away from him.

"Are you ready?" he asked, his red-white orbs drilling into Tooru's skull. He nodded meekly, and didn't even register the body blow that shattered his ribs, ruptured a few organs and sent him several feet backwards where he landed.

'_W-What? I was just standing up.._' he thought as he tried to get up only to cough up blood.

"T-Tooru!" Sasaki called out. "Leave him." Bushidō said coldly as he looked over at Sasaki. "This is something that he has to do through sheer willpower."

"W-What do you mean! You can't just-" "Shut up." Bushidō interrupted, all politeness and carefreeness gone. "You want him to become stronger? This is his struggle not yours."

"Get up." Bushidō said, turning back to Tooru. "You thought you could make it through as a CCG investigator floundering like this?" he asked as he strode closer to Tooru's limp body.

'_I can't move...I can feel my bones and organs fixing themselves.._God_, it hurts!_'

"I said _get up_." Bushidō demanded as he picked up Tooru by his hair. He placed him back oh his feet and Tooru slouched forward, almost unable to stand on his own. Then Bushidō violently backhanded him down on the roof again. Teeth and blood spewed from his mouth, and mostly everyone winched at the sight.

"Stop! I said-" Sasaki started. These were his subordinates. He couldn't just stand by and watch them be hurt like this!

"Don't.." Juuzou spoke up, shocking Sasaki into silence. "Watch.." Juuzou ordered.

Bushidō leaned down over the Rank Three investigator. All Tooru felt was pain. Pain in his body. Pain in his heart. He didn't want to do _this_ anymore.

"How does it feel?" Bushidō sneered. "..to be a little _bitch_." Something within Tooru snapped. He felt a burning in his stomach that climbed up his throat and set his mind ablaze. He was _weak_. He was _powerless_. He was _useless_. Well, he _wouldn't_ be anymore. Tooru let out a roar of pure fury as his bikaku kagune activated for the first time. Bushidō jumped back just in time to dodge it, as it smashed into the spot he was just at milliseconds ago.

Quinx Squad looked at Tooru in shock. He had never been able to call out his kagune but now... Bushidō smiled sadly at the now enraged Tooru. "My sincerest apologizes, Tooru-san. Now...rest." All Tooru saw was blackness when Bushidō's fist connected with his face. He let the cold embrace of his subconscious take him over as he drifted off to sleep.

Bushidō caught the dark olive-haired boy before he collapsed on the rooftop. He carried him over to the rest of the group, and laid him up against the outer wall of the roof. Tooru was already regenerating, bone and sinew stitching back together. He then turned to Sasaki and bowed deeply. "Forgive me for my actions and tone earlier."

Sasaki narrowed his eyes at the bowed form of Bushidō. "I understand your intentions now, but something like that was uncalled for. Never, and I mean _n__ever_, do that again."

"Yes, Sasaki-senpai."

"IS IT MY TURN NOW?!~~" Juuzuo asked jovially, not reading the darkened mood at all. Swinging his scythe in wide arcs around him, he walked to the middle of the roof.

Bushidō glanced back up at Sasaki for confirmation. Sasaki nodded curtly, still angry over Tooru's mistreatment. Turning towards Juuzuo, Bushidō gave the black-haired investigator an almost psychotic smile. "That's right, Suzuya-san. Are you ready?"

* * *

**A.N) Damn. This one was a long chapter. Poor Tooru, got pimp slapped. :(**

**Bushidō and Juuzou throw down next chapter! Woooh!**

**Again, if you could kindly review that would make my life. Thanks.**


	6. Plans and Remembrance

**A.N) Allow me to apologize for the terribly late update, but I ran into some writers block while typing this chapter. Thank you everyone who has read and reviewed so far. You guys are awesome!**

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**Scarease: I'm sure you will!**

**xxxDreamingflowerxxx: Love your reviews! Thank you so much for writing them, they are awesome! I tried to keep everyone in character so I'm glad that you enjoy my version of Akira and Juuzou's portrayal. **

**Demons Anarchy of Pride: Well, I hope this isn't too much of a headache. (There is some heavy dialogue in this chapter though. *Spoilers*)**

**Ahem. There is a horror tag on this fanfic for a reason. This chapter starts to delve into the horror aspects. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! **

**If you could kindly review that would make my life. Thanks.**

* * *

Bushidō instinctively stepped backwards as Juuzou's scythe came centimeters from cutting his head off.

'_He's trying to kill me..._' Bushidō thought as he evaded another lethal swing.

"Oi~ Quit running around and...fight...me!~" Juuzou hollered as he fluidly swiped three times at his opponent. Bushidō managed to barely dodge the last one as it cut a thin red gash across the bridge of his nose.

Juuzou hoisted his weapon across his shoulder as he grinned at Bushidō. "Gotcha~~" he taunted.

"That you did Suzuya-san." Bushidō said as he brought two fingers up to touch the wound. It was already healed. "Alright, I'll entertain you for a while. You are a strong opponent after all." Taking his comb out of his pocket, Juuzou watched in curiosity as Bushidō combed his hair forward, bangs of white falling in front of his eyes. Placing it back into his pocket, Bushidō took off his black tux to reveal a white dress shirt underneath that was tucked nicely into his dress pants. Walking back to his group while taking his tie off, he placed them down neatly and proceeded to walk back to his sparring partner.

"Okay, Suzuya-san. I won't be easy on you." The moment the words left his lips he was upon Juuzou, fist aimed for the stitched investigator's face. Juuzou pivoted to his right, just in time for the strike to whiz past his ear. With both hands he brought the scythe around in an swift arc, the weapon aimed for Bushidō's back. The scythe narrowly missed its mark, as Bushidō rolled forward to escape being severed in two.

Juuzou continued his relentless assault, driving his opponent further and further back. '_He's getting faster... Looks like I'll have to do something quick.._' Bushidō mused as Juuzou's scythe cut him across the cheek when he sidestepped too late.

Juuzou was having so much _fun_! It had been too long since he had faced a strong opponent. He smiled almost manically as he brought the scythe down in an overhead slash.

This was the moment Bushidō was looking for. He stood, tensed like a snake in waiting, and shot forward just as the blade was going to bite into his shoulder. Grappling the scythe's handle with both hands and using his height as leverage he brought the long hilt up rapidly and flipped Juuzou into the air.

"WHOA!~~" Juuzou shouted gleefully as he flipped end over end. Hanbee sweat-dropped at the sight. '_At least he is having fun.._' he thought.

Juuzou somehow managed to landed with his feet on the ground. Leaning forward he threw his arms out to stabilize himself from falling over. Straightening back out, he turned his head around and smiled at Bushidō. "Hey~ Hey~ That was fun!" Sasaki face-palmed at Juuzou's words. Bushidō just let out a breath and smiled. '_So he wasn't that serious after all..._' he mused.

He turned Juuzou's weapon over in his hands, silently commending the craftsmanship of the scythe. He held it out to Juuzou; "A excellent weapon for an excellent investigator." he complemented.

"Thanks!~, You're pretty strong too!" Juuzou replied as he walked his way over to his weapon. Taking his scythe, he leaned over so only Bushidō could hear his whisper. "I'll be watching you very _closely_..." Juuzou said, then he was skipping back towards his squad without a care in the world.

Bushidō wasn't surprised at his words. From their fight he could tell Juuzou was more aware of things than he appeared to be. He mentally shrugged, if Juuzou found out then that was that, it mattered little to him.

As he made his way back to his squad Shirazu glared at him a bit, angry over Tooru harsh training method no doubt, but still complimented him on at least surviving a sparring match with Suzuya.

Juuzou's squad left first, Hanbee and the others didn't want to spar after seeing their captain disarmed, as Quinx squad waited for Tooru to recover. Bushidō noticed their was a considerable rift between him and the rest of them, even Saiko, who had woken up to witness Tooru's beating, was wary of him. When Tooru did wake up he looked relatively well considering what happened. He was bombarded with a bunch of questions about his health from Shirazu and Sasaki, but Tooru reassured them that he was fine.

Bushidō spoke up when Tooru had finished answering them; "Do you feel better now?"

"Bastard!" Shirazu sneered as he pointed an accusing finger at him. "You don't have any right to ask-"

"Yes. I do." Tooru answered confidently, interrupting Shirazu mid-sentence. Looking down at his now-clenched fists in thought he stated; "I realized that I was running away from my own weakness. I needed a shove on the right path to get started." Tooru wanted to thank him, but he didn't think thanking someone who beat you unconscious deserved it.

Bushidō smiled down at his squadmate; "I apologize for my actions. I was only trying to help you."

"I understand." Tooru replied. He truly did. Looking back he realized how avoiding his problems and blaming himself only made it worse. Now he saw that if he took those feelings of fragility and helplessness and used them as fuel to awaken his own power.

Sasaki looked down at the concrete roof top and inwardly sighed. '_Just another thing I couldn't teach..._' he thought bitterly.

With Bushidō making amends with Tooru, the tension from the group seemed to dissipate to an extend. While Bushidō redressed himself, Sasaki explained that they would be going undercover to observe Nutcracker at her work.

"Sasaki-senpai, if I may?" Bushidō inquired after Sasaki was finished. Sasaki gave the ghoul a questioning look and he continued; "I think it would be more advantageous if I were to do a little investigation of my own. See if I can find anything using sources...outside the bounds of the CCG."

Sasaki narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he weighed is options. He realized his squad needed a break from Bushidō, _he _needed a break from him. Having someone oneup you at your own job was a motivation killer.

"Alright.. Don't get your cover blown and I do not want backlash in any way, shape, or form coming back on the CCG. Understand?" He declared seriously.

Bushidō was right. '_He may be the better teacher, but I am their _superior_._' Sasaki thought.

Bushidō's mouth lifted into a small, knowing smile and nodded. The ghoul leaned over slightly the outer wall of the roof to look where the next roof was.

Pretty far, but he could make it. He walked back a few steps and Quinx squad looked at him questioningly.,

"I contact you if I find anything worthwhile."

"What the hell are ya-" Shirazu started to ask, but Bushidō took off before he could finish.

Using his ghoulish strength he sprinted across the rooftop, jumped up on the outer wall and leaped of it into the air. After a few seconds of being airborne he landed on the other roof, cracking the concrete slightly where he landed. After brushing any wrinkles out of his attire, he took out his comb and slicked his backwards. He then sent a silent wave of goodbye over his shoulder and continued his trek across Tokyo's rooftops.

XxXxXx

Touka was not happy when she found Bushidō walking into to her coffee shop. Today the café was fairly busy and she didn't need some arrogant, annoying, not to mention _dangerous_ ghoul ruining-

"Ah. Well, if it isn't the beautiful waitress I met last time. It is a pleasure to see you again, my dear."

Touka bit the inside of her cheek so she wouldn't curse him out in front of her customers. It didn't help that some of the ladies who had overheard his greeting were now whispering and giggling to themselves. She glared icely and mouthed "Fuck you." at him, to which he only smiled at, before leading him over to the bar. Renji could deal with this prick.

The bar was empty save for one lonely man at the far end getting drunk in the middle of the day, so Bushidō mused it would be safe to ask some questions. He sat down directly across from where Yomo was cleaning glasses. Yomo regarded the ghoul with a cold stare as Bushidō situated himself on the bar stool.

"No need to look so cold, Raven." Bushidō said as he leaned over the counter to make sure no one else heard. "I've only come to ask some questions, nothing more."

Yomo's stare hardened more, if that was even possible, at the man's use of his alias, but he said nothing as if waiting for Bushidō to ask his question.

"What do you know of Nutcracker?" Yomo blinked in surprise, he wasn't expecting that. "...Why do you want to know?"

"Surely you can't be thinking of protecting someone who preys needlessly, do you?" No, Yomo knew that to survive and stay hidden you needed to be a scavenger. Preying needlessly invoked only death from the doves.

"What Nutcracker does is none of my business." Yomo said as he turned away to put the glass away. "...You know I could tell the CCG about your little establishment here..." Bushidō whispered.

Yomo had to concentrate very hard on not shattering the glass in his hands as he put it away. He slowly turned back towards the sitting ghoul, a look of concealed fury evident on his face.

"Do I have your attention now? Good. So let me ask again, What do you know about Nutcracker?" The two ghouls had an intense stare down for what seemed like hours until Yomo relented and sighed before speaking; "Nothing more than you should already know."

'_How vague.._' Bushidō thought, but before he could question the validity of Yomo's answer Yomo asked his own question; "What exactly is someone like you doing working with the CCG?"

Bushidō hummed as he quickly glanced around coffeeshop, making sure no-one was eavesdropping. Turning around he answered; "The CCG and I have an...agreement of sorts. They help me and in return I give them a prize."

"Helping you?" Yomo asked confused. "What could the CCG possibly help you with?"

"Proof." he said simply. "Proof that ghouls and humans can work together. That as a species, we are not so different from each other."

Yomo shook his head. "Something like that is impossible."

"Is it? I'd like to think that Yoshimura thought it was possible." Bushidō's eyes traced the dark lines of the bar counter as he said the man's name.

Yomo knew the manager had thought that, but look where it had gotten him. Dead, that's where. He inwardly sighed at Bushidō's words. Grabbing a glass, he silently made a drink.

"Whiskey with ice eh? You remembered. You know, you're kinder than you look." He said before downing the glass in one shot.

"So you really don't know about Nutcracker?" Yomo shook is head in response.

"The waitress?"

"She knows less about it than I do."

Bushidō mulled over Raven's answers. He couldn't tell if the silver-haired man was lying. He had a very good poker face.

'_Well, time to ask the real questions..._' Bushidō thought.

"I never did get a straight answer out of you the other day." he commented offhandedly. "You know Haise Sasaki, don't you?" He said giving Yomo a calculating stare.

'_So that's what they call him..._' Yomo mused. "No, I don't know that name."

The unspoken meaning did not escape Bushidō. '_..Doesn't know the name, but he knows the person._'

Yomo left him to think over his findings. If these ghouls knew Sasaki, but he himself didn't recognize them then... '_Some sort of amnesia maybe? _' Bushidō theorized. Whatever the case may be, Bushidō knew there was something wrong with Sasaki. The incident on the train this morning had hinted at that. He had watched Sasaki sit there eyes closed, brows furrowed, and face scrunched up in pain. Like someone was taking a sledgehammer to his skull.

Then there was him crying on two separate occasions. The first was when Bushidō had said he respected humans. '_Why would that matter to him?_' he thought. Perhaps he was human in the past? But then how did he meet Raven and that feisty waitress? No, he must have been a ghoul. There wasn't a solid explanation as to why, yet.

The second time was when he had tasted the coffee. '_Wait...the coffee! That's it!_' Bushidō mentally exclaimed. The same coffee that tasted just like Yoshimura's! Sasaki must have known the older man somehow... Did he work at the coffeeshop? He must have for it to cause such an emotional reaction. That's where he must have picked up on the old man's ideals of respecting humans as well!

'_These incidents jogged his memory somewhat, causing his suppressed memories to surface? No...he still didn't recognize the waitress or Raven even after he drank the coffee... Whatever traumatic event happened to seal his past away from him must have been severe._' He mused.

There was still one major glaring error in his theory. '_Why was a presumed-ghoul now working with the CCG?_' The irony of the thought did not escape Bushidō as he smiled to himself. Amnesia or not, it was a very strange thing to do _unless_ it was that person's intent or there was some sort of enforcement to do so. So the CCG took him in after he lost his memories and made him a part of their organization? Seemed unlikely. Bushidō narrowed his eyes at the bar counter as he thought of his next hypothesis.

'_What if the CCG is responsible for the anmenisa...Brainwashing?_' He wondered. Was such a thing-

"Hey!" Touka hollered at him. Was this guy deaf? She had been calling him for five minutes. Her yell seemed to jolt the ghoul out of his thoughts, and he turned towards her. "What?" he snapped.

Touka was taken back. '_The hell is his problem?_' she thought angrily.

"It's closing time, get your ass out of here." she narrowed her eyes at him as she jabbed her thumb over her shoulder at the exit, daring him to talk back. After a busy day of work the last thing she needed was this pompous assclown taking back to her, and if he did he would _so get it_...

Bushidō looked outside bewildered, and saw that the sky was considerably darker than when he had first walked in. A light drizzle of rain was also coming down, reflecting the light from the streetlamps that had turned on.

_'How long was I..._' He pondered as he looked at the clock on the wall. '_Four hours!_' he thought, stunned. It felt like he had just sat down...

"Uhh...Hello? I said get your ass out. Are you deaf?" she asked, clearly fed up with the white-haired ghoul. Bushidō turned on her sharply, white reddish orbs boring into her violet ones. "Could you please just be quiet for two seconds?"

Oh no. He didn't. '_This _fucker_...!_' she thought, totally pissed off. Touka quickly approaching the point of no return, clenched her hands, which snapped her little black clipboard she was holding. "God _fucking_ damn it!"

Touka's cursing caused Yomo to appear from the doorway leading upstairs. Before Touka could go overboard he called out. "It's closing time, you should leave."

"Ah, yes. But before I do, I have come up with a rather...unpleasant theory. It concerns your friend." He eyes slid over to Yomo.

Touka's breath caught in her throat. '_Kaneki?..._' she mentally wondered , her anger momentarily forgotten. Yomo sighed, for what he thought was the hundredth time today, and motioned for Bushidō to follow as he walked through the door. Touka followed them after she changed the sign hanging on the door to closed.

Bushidō was pleasantly surprised to find various rooms on the second floor, one of which was a living area that had a table and four chairs. The room was also lined with a counter on the far wall that had a state-of-the-art coffee machine and various coffee beans. A small T.V. sat on an entertainment center in one corner, while a bonsai tree was kept on a little table in another corner.

As they all sat down he noticed there was a window directly adjacent to the table that showed the Tokyo nightlife. Various buildings with their lights still on, the streetlamps with various couples, drunks, stalkers, _rapists_...

'_Now isn't the time..._' He mentally chastised himself. He looked back at the two ghouls who were staring at him expectantly. Well, the waitress was glaring at him with her one visible eye. He found it somewhat endearing.

"Right. My hypothesis. Haise Sasaki seems to have some-"

"Kaneki." Touka interrupted. "Excuse me?" Bushidō asked, not following her outburst.

"His name is Ken Kaneki.." It sounded so foreign rolling off her tongue, Touka thought. Even though she thought about him almost everyday, the act of saying his full name was...almost alien.

After a few moments of silent contemplation Bushidō continued; "...Right, sorry. Ken Kaneki seems to have some sort of amnesia."

Touka couldn't help it, the words were already out of her mouth before she could stop them. "No, really? What gave you that idea jackass?"

Bushidō's entire body bristled and Touka realized she had made him angry. He glared venomously at her. "Shut up and _listen._" he sneered at her. The change in his demeanor shocked even Yomo, as he shifted sightly in his seat uncomfortably.

Realizing this, he shifted his eyes away from her. "Sorry...I'm just a bit on edge."

Touka just crossed her arms under her chest. "Whatever, just get this over with."

"...I believe the amnesia Kaneki is suffering from was either caused by a very serious traumatic event or it was inflicted upon him."

"Inflicted upon?" Touka repeated.

Bushidō nodded in confirmation. "I'm leaning more towards that the more I think about it. How else is he working for the CCG as one of their investigators?"

Realization washed over Touka like ice-cold water. "Y-You're saying they captured him and fucking _brainwashed_ him!" she half growled, half yelled.

'_Those fucking doves!' _she thought angrily as she clenched her fists on the tabletop.

Her fists were dangerously close to smashing the table to smithereens. Yomo, seeing that Touka was about to reduce the table that _he_ paid for to splinters, quickly asked; "There's something else isn't there?"

Bushidō's eyes flicked from Touka to Yomo before answering. "Well, there are two things actually. Firstly, If we assume that the CCG did brainwash him, the main question would be why? Why would the CCG go so far for just a regular ghoul?"

Touka and Yomo silently exchanged a look. It did not go unnoticed by Bushidō. He raised an eyebrow at both of them. "Something you want to say?"

The dark silver-haired woman took a deep breath to calm her nerves before speaking. "He's not a regular ghoul. He is.. a one-eyed ghoul."

"Oh...Well that complicates things." Bushidō remarked, almost nonchalantly. Touka wanted to slap him, in fact she would have if Yomo hadn't interjected.

"Secondly?" he asked.

"Yes, Secondly it seems like certain stimuli can trigger him to remember or vaguely remember things about his past."

"Like with the coffee..." Touka suddenly said. Bushidō nodded; "Right. The coffee's taste triggered an emotion within his subconscious causing him to react accordingly."

'_So Kaneki I know is still somewhere inside his_ _head..._' Touka thought fondly. '_But then why was he crying?... Surely the coffee should bring back happy memories?... Maybe they were tears of joy?_' Somehow, Touka knew they weren't.

"That being said, I believe I am in a position to help you." Bushidō said has he leaned forward and laced his fingers together. The gesture reminded Touka of the businessmen that sometimes came into the coffee shop.

"Help...us?" Touka asked hesitantly. '_Could he really mean.._'

"Although the CCG and I have an...arrangement of sorts..." Touka narrowed her eyes at his statement. "You work for_ them_?!" she hissed. Bushidō was losing his patience with this woman. Beauty had its limits after all.

"On the contrary, _they_ work for me. You are really trying my patience, young lady. Now please. stop. _interrupting_." he said as he narrowed his eyes dangerously at her.

To her credit, Touka didn't back down from the stare and held his gaze. Like hell she was going to let him intimidate her. Folding her arms against her black apron she let out a dignified "Hmph".

"As I was saying. Since I am _loosely_ affiliated with the CCG, I see Sasa-..I mean Kaneki frequently. I can try methods to jog his memory, but to do so I need to know his past. _All_ of it." He explained and looked at both of them expectantly.

Touka shifted nervously in her seat. She wasn't comfortable talking about her own past, let alone someone elses. She was thankful when Yomo spoke up.

"We don't even know the whole story about him. Kaneki was captured by Aogiri Tree at one point. After we manged to rescue him...he _changed_." Touka stiffened at his words remembering just how much he _had_ changed, while Yomo's eyes shifted to Bushidō's white hair for a brief second, but it did not go unnoticed.

Bushidō immediately understood the unspoken gesture. '_So he too..._' he mused, as his eyes glazed over and he was no longer staring at Yomo but through him. Bushidō was no longer sitting at a table on the second floor of a coffee shop. He was going back. Going back to that _hell_...

'"_Eat up..'"_'

'_(Chomp) *Sniff* (Chew)_'

'_"That's a...good boy..."_'

Touka stared, bewildered at Bushidō's current state. He was slightly slouched over, his piercing reddish white orbs were now murky as they gazed at seemingly nothing. But the strangest of all was his jaw moved in a chewing motion even though she_ knew_ there was nothing in his mouth. She casted a worried glance at Yomo and noticed the usually stoic man looking...troubled? Even after spending so much time with the reclusive man, she still couldn't figure out that he was thinking most of the time.

Renji Yomo wasn't a person who got shocked easily. Years of bloodshed and conflict, along with losing his family, had hardened his heart to almost-stone. There wasn't much in this world that shocked him anymore, but...this man's complete one-hundred and eighty degree turn in personality was very jarring.

His eyes, which held strength, charisma, and intelligence seemed to dim and the distinct color palette of his irises seemed to blend together into a murky liquid. Yomo knew that Bushidō was no longer seeing himself or Touka. Then he seemed to shrink as he slumped forward a bit, eyes now staring through the table as he moved his jaw in strange chewing motions.

"Uhh...A-Are you alright?" Touka asked. The long minutes that pasted were starting to make her nervous. Bushidō stopped his mouth movements and slowly turned his face to regarded Touka. She had never seen something so eerie in her whole life. The blank look in his eyes, coupled with the fact that his head was titled made her skin crawl. She half-expected him to burst out laughing telling her it was an elaborate ruse. Then his eyes seemed to focus in on her, almost predatorily in nature, and Touka realized she was in a _very_ dangerous situation.

For a split second the atmosphere shifted and neither Touka nor Yomo moved a muscle. Then his eyes seemed to come back to life and he immediately straightened back up. Blinking in confusion Bushidō slowly began to recognize the ghouls in front of him. After a few more moments to regain his senses and take in his surroundings, he focused in on the two individuals. The waitress was looking at him like he was some rabid animal, while Raven had an unreadable expression.

"I-I'm sorry. I was simply remembering..._unpleasant _memories." he managed to say, as his stomach churned and rumbled slightly. He had only thought about it for a second, but a second was all he needed to be swept up in his vivid recollections.

Touka would have cussed him out for that lame explanation if she didn't see the haunted look in his eyes. Since she couldn't verbal or physical pummel him, she decided on the next best thing: Ignoring the problem completely.

"You said you needed to know his past, but we don't know all of it. We'll tell you as much as we can though." Touka said. Unfortunately she had to place her trust in him even if he was _slightly_ insane. He seemed like the only available option in getting Kaneki to return. Bushidō nodded, grateful for the redirection of conversation.

So Touka told him her version of Kaneki's past, with Yomo filling in parts that seemed to escape her. She managed to tell it without an emotional breakdown, which was good by her standards all things considered. She realized that thinking about the past and talking about where very different things.

Bushidō watched Touka's reactions to certain parts of her story. It seemed obvious to him that this woman had some sort of attraction to Ken Kaneki. At one point, when she was recalling him working with her at Anteiku, she became misty eyed and had to compose herself.

When they finished Bushidō mulled over the information. Ken Kaneki was originally human, which was not what he was expecting, and had been crushed under metal support beams that had accidentally fallen from a construction site. Luckily he was able to survive, with organ transplants from a ghoul who had been caught under the beams as well. The story sounded extremely unlikely, but both of them verified it when he questioned it. So his initial theory about him being a natural born ghoul was not true. Not that it mattered much.

They also explained that after the Aogiri incident Kaneki left and formed his own group to do..."things" as Touka put it. So they did not know his actions while outside the twentieth ward. Unfortunate, but Bushidō already had ideas forming concerning Kaneki's memories.

"Thank you for sharing your information. We'll be in touch." he said as he rose of his seat. He needed to leave before the hunger started, as it always did when he remembered unpleasant things...

"You're leaving? No questions?" Yomo inquired. He looked over at the silver-haired man and a small part of him imagined slitting his throat, ripping his ribcage open and feasting on his fresh organs as blood spurted and caked the walls red. He swallowed and steeled his nerves.

"...No, there is something I forgot to ask. Your names, please." When they didn't reply, he quickly added. "Names, along with pictures and sometimes phrases are some of the most important topics that can trigger memories in a person with amnesia." That small part of him was growing by the second, and he wished desperately to leave as quick as possible.

Touka realized the ghoul was trying very hard not to move. She saw his arm was slightly shaking, almost as if he was trying not to strike out.

"I am Touka Kirishima and this.." she said as she pointed to the man beside her; "is Renji Yomo." If Yomo wanted to keep his name a secret he didn't vocally object.

He nodded, silently grateful that she could see his distress. Touka watched as the man quietly and quickly made his way towards the stairs. When he was out of sight she waited until she heard the door of the coffee shop close to turn to Yomo.

"I knew he had a few screws loose, but that man is bat-shit crazy..." she said almost jokingly, trying at lighten the mood a bit. She really didn't want to think about what she witnessed less she go mad as well.

Yomo merely grunted in response, signaling her that he didn't want to talk about it. He got up and left the room, presumably to take stock in the amount of meat they had.

Touka leaned forward and propped her elbows up on the table as she leaned her face into her hands. Behind her closed eyes she saw two different Kanekis. On the right was the optimistic, selfless, eyepatch wearing, black-haired Kaneki that made her feel like she always had someone close and important to her whenever he was around. On the left was the murky eyed, pain filled, broken, white-haired Kaneki whose demeanor and personality that frustrated and hurt her so much to look at that she had to push him way before she would break into tiny fragments.

'_Change..._' she thought solemnly. '_Kaneki, if you remember will you change again?.._' Part her wanted him too, so she wouldn't have to see that other part of him again, but a voice in the back of her mind was asking; "_What if he changes for the worse?..._"

XxXxXx

As soon as the coffee shop's door closed Bushidō tore into a full sprint into the nearest dark alley. Slipping under the cover of darkness his hands began to shake as a voice was telling him to rip into the two ghouls he had been conversing with minutes earlier.

'_No... M-Must find someone e-e-else!_' His focus started to waver as he ran through the alleyway. The voice was tempting him with vivid descriptions of eating Yomo and Touka.

'_Take the man and rip his head off, pull out his spine and watch the blood sqiurt out of the hole. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Then scoop up his innards and drink his brain juices! Ohh~ That would be so delicious!~~_' the dark voice whispered in delight.

Bushidō's gait fumbled and he pressed a outstretched hand onto the wet bricks of the building. He hadn't even realized it was now downpouring, and the rain droplets beat relentlessly down on his hunched form. His previously slicked back white hair now hung in front of his forehead and was plastered to the sides of his face.

'_Then! Then we can take our time with the pretty one!_' the voice shivered with pleasure.

'_There is no we...You don't exist!_' Bushidō hollered in his mind.

The voice only let out a high pitched giggle. '_Then you talking to something that doesn't exist makes you crazy right?_' It let out another sick giggle when Bushidō didn't answer.

'Ah~~' the voice resumed its dark fantasies. 'That_ pretty woman would be so fun to play with. I want to taste her salty tears!_' Bushido's stomach grumbled loudly in response.

'_First we would cut off her legs so she couldn't escape. Then slowly tear open her stomach and eat her intestines._' He had to cover his mouth with his other hand to stop from drooling as he listened, almost entranced by the disgusting scene playing in his mind.

The voice laughed then, a maddening laugh that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. It ringed inside his head and Bushidō found himself smiling twistedly at the sound of it.

'_When she would be on the verge of death, we'd_ rape_ her just like__-_'

Bushidō no longer listened as a ghost of a memory had snapped him into focus. Pain, a girl, monsters disguised in flesh...

'_ENOUGH!_" he mentally screamed with all his might, enraged, his voice echoing off the confines of his mind. His eyes no longer appeared human as they were now pitch black with red irises. The veins around his eyes were enlarged and pulsating red.

In his fury he had crushed the brick wall that had been supporting his hand, which was now a shaking clenched fist, and had gritted his teeth so hard he had broken a few molars.

The voice said nothing and seemed to fade back into his subconscious, but not disappearing entirely.

Bushidō then heard a noise that was coming from the dumpster a few meters in front of him. His eyes still trained on the wet cracked pavement of the alleyway, he heard the dumpster opening as the rusted hinge creaked in protest.

"Well well well, what do we have here? Some meat lost its way in the night it seems." A gruff and raspy voice said as it approached.

Both Bushidō and the voice smiled in unison. It seemed that dinner found it way to them.

Before the other ghoul had time to react Bushidō had rushed forward and kicked the ghoul's right kneecap inwards, breaking the bones and tearing ligaments. The shaggy bearded ghoul screamed in pain and fell sideways onto the wet pavement, splashes of muddy water jumping into the air around where the hobo ghoul landed.

A sort of maddening frenzy overcame Bushidō as he smiled sadistically down at the other ghoul. He raised his leg and slammed down on the man's uninjured leg, breaking his tibia clean in half. The bone sprouted from his flesh as the man screamed in agony, fresh blood splattering the pavement and Bushidō's smile widened.

"Tell me, how many humans have you killed?" Bushidō asked as he reached down lifted the man by his filthy worn jacket. The ghoul whimpered as his useless legs dangled helplessly, and Bushidō lifted him so he was eye level with the other man.

"Are you hard of hearing? I asked you a question." he said as the other man shook with fright.

"P-P-Please..." he stuttered. "I-I haven't killed anyone-"

Bushidō interrupted him by headbutting his nose and breaking it. The man's head reeled backwards as blood flowed rapidly from his nostrils, mixing with the rain as it fell onto his face.

"I don't think you are in a position to lie. Don't worry you can tell me the truth, you are going to die pretty soon anyways." Bushidō laughed as the man gasped for air through his bloodied mouth with a fearful look in his eyes.

"Now, tell me." Bushidō demanded as he pushed the ghoul up against the wet brick wall of the building. The hobo hissed in pain as his legs bounced against the brick surface but he managed to reply; "One-one hundred and e-eighty three..." Bushidō narrowed his eyes as the man shaikly reached into his grimy pocket and pulled out a long bunched up string of human teeth.

"After every human I eat I take one of their teeth..." The ghoul said, his voice now nasally, and he rubbed his fingers over the teeth, possibly reminiscing each kill.

Bushidō took a moment to take in the man's appearance under the moonlight. He was an older man with thick wrinkles around his face and neck. The rest of his body was covered with various tattered mismatched articles of clothing. The stench he emitted was almost unbearable, Bushidō mused it must have been caused from the long years of living in dumpsters. The rotten food smell practically stuck to the man's clothing.

"Did they taste good?" Bushidō suddenly asked and the other ghoul was shocked by the question. When he didn't answer after a few moments Bushidō twisted the man's jacket and pushed him into the brick wall breaking a few ribs as he did so.

"I. Asked. A. Question. _Answer it_." Bushidō hissed at the ghoul. The ghoul gaped like a fish, his lungs being crushed under the pressing weight.

"Y-Y-Yes! T-They were d-delicious!" he wheezed out, and Bushidō ease off the pressure. The haggard ghoul coughed up blood and it trickled down his chin.

"I see... Lets see if you inherited their taste."

Before the ghoul could understand what he meant, Bushidō had bitten and ripped out a chunk of his neck. The carotid artery had been severed and a huge wave of blood cascaded across the alleyway. The ghoul let out a guttural scream that was soon drowned out as Bushidō took another bite of the ghoul's throat, eating his vocal chords in the process.

Though the life quickly left the ghoul's eyes, Bushidō continued to devour the rest of his body, kakuhou and all. Little did he realize that throughout the whole ordeal he was being silently watched on a nearby rooftop by a dark overcoat wearing silver-haired man with a raven mask on...

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**A.N) Soooo? What do you guys think? Let me know!**

**Oooooh~ Get some glimpses into ****Bushidō's past! (Don't worry. It's worse than you think. :P) **

**Again, If you could review that would make my life. Thanks.**


	7. Fiery Blood and Shattered Mirrors

**A.N) Long chapter here guys, I spent a lot of time on this chapter. Hope it shows. I dusted off my fluff/smut gloves for this one. prepare for a pairing(?) that none of you asked for, but brings another dynamic into the story. Yep, I'm pulling a Kubo and trolling you guys. (lol)**

**Sorry about this but I know a lot of you guys are speculating that Bushidō was captured by Aogiri and tortured, but that's not it. What I meant last chapter was that white hair was caused by emotional and physical stress being placed on the ghoul. That's the similarities that I was trying to portray. Sorry for the spoilers, but i just didn't want any confusion when I finally reveal his past. It will be _much_ worse than what you guys are thinking, I assure you.**

**On a side note, I updated the summary for this fic and my profile page. It seemed a bit to unrefined so I patched things up to look more appealing. Hope you guys like it!**

***Review Feedback***

**Demons Anarchy of Pride: Like I stated above, that's not the case. Thanks for reviewing though!**

**Scarease: Just the white hair my friend. **

**Guest: Whoever you are, I don't plan on it, sorry. But maybe, I'll see how the story goes, it's going to be a long story so we'll have plenty of arcs.**

**Pink: Bushido's kakuja is still a mystery but it will be revealed, don't worry. :P**

**Purpleswans: Ah, thanks for your kind words. On the topic of Kaneki/****Bushidō interaction, there will be sort of older brother/silblings moments. At least that's what I'm going to shoot for. (Might not happen)**

**xxxDreamingflowerxxx: Your reviews are always detailed, and for that I thank you. I am glad you like the creepy tone I was going for. The rape fantasy is something that will be explained further down the road, so stay in for the long haul. Ahaha, the RIP old man made me laugh, kudos to you. (P.S. I'm a dude, but thanks for the compliment on my work. When I read that I chuckled pretty hard.)**

**If you could kindly review that would make my life. Thanks.**

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Bushidō awoke three days later in his apartment to the sunrise shining into his bedroom window. He blinked groggily as he stared at the bright yellow ceiling, and spent a few lazy minutes contemplating what drove the interior decorator to chose such terrible paint. Then flashes of the night two days ago flicked across his mind's eye, and he groaned as he sat up, his muscle toned torso revealing itself as the white bed-sheets fell away, and placed a hand over his face as he recalled the previous events that transpired.

'_It was close...Too close. If I hadn't left when I did..._' he thought grimly. It had been quite awhile since he had eaten and the hunger came crawling back into his mind in those times. The hunger always became worse when he would start to remember...

'_The last time I ate was around three weeks ago._' he mused. Over his lifetime Bushidō hadn't gotten used to the taste of ghoul flesh; its coarse, disgusting texture still prevalent in back of his throat.

Throwing off the sheets that covered his lower half, he swung around and placed his bare feet on to the wood floor. He gazed down at his privates to find that he was completely naked, to which he raised a white eyebrow at. Glancing to his left he saw a bloody torn suit, dress shirt n' pants, and underwear. He cursed under his breath.

He really liked that suit, and those where Yomo's dress pants. Oops.

His memories leading up to falling asleep were hazy, but he could remember being frustrated with how slow it was taking him to undress. He must have been really agitated to _rip_ his own clothes off.

He looked around his poorly painted bedroom; his closet, if it could be called a closet, was a rectangular hole in the wall, its doors long gone. He was thankful that he had more than one suit, as he saw more of them hanging up. He looked to his right, seeing his small wooden nightstand. The wood was severely faded and the single black knob that opened a drawer was on the verge of falling out of its socket.

He glanced at the propped up frame that sat on the nightstand surface; A certificate of authentication showing the world that he was indeed a doctor in the field of psychology. Isao Kurosawa, his human alias, was fancily written across the thin black line and in the bottom right corner was the signature of the Dean of Kamii University. He was proud of his achievement; after all he had thrown himself completely into his studies as soon as he had started his student life.

Sighing to himself, he rose from his bed and walked across his bedroom into the living room that also functioned as his kitchen. In his haste to sleep he didn't even close his bedroom door and Bushidō noticed a trail of blood droplets that led from his bedroom to the apartment door.

Great. Just another thing he'd have to clean up.

Not caring in the slightest about his lack of attire, he took in the sight of his hole in a wall of a home. For a cheap run down apartment he commended himself in how he was able to keep it in relatively good condition. On one side of the room there was a tiny T.V. on a small wobbly table with a single brown couch facing it. On top of the TV was an old fashion baby blue twin bell alarm clock that had an audible _tick tock_ noise; The clock's hands read four, forty-five. He curled his toes into the caramel-colored carpet as he glanced over at the bathroom door to his left, and mused that he had quite a bit of time before he had to get ready.

In the middle of the room there was a small rounded metal strip that ran to each end of the flat's floor, which separated the carpet from the white tile of the kitchen. The kitchen itself was dirty with dust, a sign that it had not been used in a long time. A old dusty coffee machine was unplugged and sitting near the rusted metal sink. The brownish-silver faucet was slowly dripping water, a reminder that he had to fix it soon. Bushidō mentally shrugged; he'd get around to it. Eventually.

A window with yellow curtains was situated above the sink that spilled golden sunlight throughout the room. A short faded white fridge was placed up against the corner wall of the kitchen, which had a few pictures on it from his college days. He used the fridge more than anything else in the kitchen, because he stored ghoul meat that he didn't finish when he went out to feast.

Bushidō glanced over at the kitchen counter and noticed a long string of human teeth bunched up and laying there. His mouth set in a thin line as the bearded ghoul's old leathery mutilated face flashed in his mind. He walked up to the object, picked up, and ran his fingers over the collection of teeth. Some of them were rotten and black, while others were white and fresh. His fingers clenched into a fist around them when he saw a small tooth, a _child's _tooth.

'_Such innocence life wasted.._' he thought sadly.

A sharp knock came from the other side of his white paint-chipped apartment door. He narrowed his eyes at it as he placed the teeth back down on the counter. There was only one person who knocked on his door...his landlord. He briefly wondered if he just ignored it, maybe his landlord would go away. He shook his head in exasperation, of course she wouldn't. She'd break the door down before she would even _think_ about leaving.

He approached the door and unlocked it, mentally praising himself that he managed to lock his door at all, and opened the door slightly so he could peek out at the ginger-haired woman.

"What the hell do you want, Itori."

The Helter Skelter bar owner merely chuckled at Bushidō's cold greeting and narrowed visible eye. The attractive redhead leaned against the door, in hopes of opening it all the way, but Bushidō's bare foot caught it before she could catch a glimpse of his naked form. He _really_ didn't need her seeing that.

Itori raised an elegant dark amber eyebrow at him, then looked down at his bare toes that peaked out from under the door. He used her lack of eye contact to drink in her appearance.

She was stunning, as she always seemed to be and a tiny fire erupted in his core when he gazed at her exposed cleavage. Her breasts almost looked they were going to pop out of the low-cut spaghetti strap black dress she was wearing. His eyes roamed over her creamy white legs that were visible under her skirt, which didn't hide much considered how short it was. His exposed member twitched slightly, and he inwardly groaned but was thankful that the door was currently covering it.

"What's wrong? You're acting more icy than usual." she asked playfully, eyes raising back up to meet Bushidō's own orbs. Dark orange meet white-reddish and Bushidō swallowed. Itori smirked at his uneasiness. "I came by yesterday but you didn't answer, and I couldn't hear you walking around so..." she said as she glanced at his naked shoulder and collarbone.

'_So I've been sleeping for two days?_' Bushidō thought, a little shocked.

'_Bare feet...and he's shirtless..._' Itori mused. '_Oh!_' she mentally exclaimed. She couldn't help the playful smirk that crept on her face as she asked; "You're naked, aren't you?"

Bushidō stiffened and Itori threw her head back and laughed as she leaned more into the door for support, her parted red hair swaying with her movement, and she slapped her hand against the door in her fit of laughter.

The door was creaking , signaling that it was going to break, but that was the least of Bushidō's worries at the moment.

"C'mon, let me in!" she heckled as she smiled up at him. "All this time we've known each other and I've never seen you naked. A shame, really."

Yes, she was right about that. They had known each other for a little under 10 years. When he was in his junior year of college, he had managed to find her bar one day and she had offered him a place to stay. The apartment was located in the fourteenth ward and was actually in the same building as Helter Skelter. At the time he was so grateful for her generosity, that he vowed to pay her back no matter the cost. In retrospect he should have just stayed to sleeping on rooftops...

Bushidō's attitude towards her changed gradually over the course of their ten years together. It started off as being indebted to awkwardly embarrassing transitioning to acceptance and then finally accustomed indifference. Itori was always trying his sexual patience whenever they met, which was at least once a month since she always pestered him about paying the rent on time by personally visiting him, by her constant advances and revealing clothing, but he did count her as a close friend. Although he never did fully trust her; being the owner of the infamous Helter Skelter and dabbling in the information business of the ghoul underworld made him wary of her.

Bushidō shook his head, his tangled labyrinth of white hair swaying as he did so. "No. Now _fuck off_." he sneered and went to slam the door but Itori caught it with her high heeled shoe. As quick as a snake she reached in with her arm and twisted his nipple causing Bushidō to cry out in surprise. He took a step back and that was all Itori needed as she darted into his apartment. Bushidō had already turned away from her, successfully hiding his reproductive organs, and ran into his bedroom when Itori looked in his direction.

She snorted unladylike and hollered after him. "Your ass is looking _fine_~!"

"_Screw you Itori!_" he yelled as he slammed his bedroom door shut, rattling the hinges and almost shattering them off the doorframe.

"Sure, sounds good! You wanna have a quickie in the shower?" she called back, only to be met with long groan of exasperation.

She laughed lightly and smiled to herself. After a few moments, she looked around the rundown flat and noticed the string of teeth on the kitchen counter. Frowning slightly, her eyebrows furrowed in curiosity as she moved over to it and picked it up. She knew that it wasn't his, Bushidō never kept any sort of trophies from his feedings.

Inspecting a group of teeth, she casually wondered where he had gotten it. Itori turned them over in her hand and noticed the dried blood that was caked on the teeth and her darker, sadistic side smiled.

'_What exquisite suffering they must have gone through!_' she thought delightfully. Itori heard the approaching footsteps of Bushidō and quickly placed the twine of teeth deep within her cleavage, making sure it was not visible before running and jumping onto the couch, making it seem like she was lounging the entire time.

Throwing her legs over the far arm of the couch she tilted her head back over the other arm, her long fire-like hair cascading down and almost touching the carpet. Itori managed to get situated just in time, because Bushidō opened the door a moment later. She regarded him with a sexy smirk knowing that her cleavage was on full display. He propped himself up against the doorframe one foot bent behind the other, eyes narrowed at her and she noticed he was trying not to avert his gaze away from her face.

Although his eyes didn't eagerly roam over her body, her's did, hungrily drinking in his robust physique. Though she was disappointed that she didn't get a peek at his man bits, sadly they were covered by a pair of black boxer briefs, she couldn't complain at his muscled chest, chiseled six-pack, thick and toned arms and shoulders, and well defined thighs and calves.

Both of them were comfortable enough around each other that they didn't particularly care about each other state of dress, to a certain extend in Bushidō's case. Ten years of Itori hounding him with tight clothes, or groping on him on more times that he could count made Bushidō unaffected by her lustful stares.

He coughed to get her attention and her eyes snapped back up to meet his. She gave him another alluring smile and twirled her finger in the air as she spoke; "Turn around and flex, I want to see that back and ass of yours."

Another lesson he learned about Itori was to not do what she wanted until you got something in return, _especially_ if it was related to matters of the flesh.

"If I do, will you leave?" he asked, clearly annoyed at her juvenile behavior, as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"How about I let you feel me up as a reward instead?" she offered and Bushidō had to try _very _hard to not bash his head into the doorframe.

"No. Now get out of here, I have to start getting ready." he said dismissively, making a shooing motion with his hands in her direction.

"Ready? What could you possibly be doing at..." she raised her head to look at the small light blue clock. "five in the morning that is so important?"

"Not being sexual harassed by my landlord." he commented dryly. "And what are you doing here at five in the morning anyways?" he asked, suspicion practically dripping from his voice.

Itori smiled despite the jab and fired right back. "Well maybe if my tenant wasn't such a dickless gaylord and would screw his _sexy_ landlord, maybe she'd stop." she said, effectively dodging his question as Bushidō laughed at the stinging insult. He had to admit, that was a good one.

Even though Itori seemed to be a borderline nymphomaniac sometimes, at least when it came to him, it felt good to joke around with someone. He felt more at ease with her than anyone else in his life, though to be honest there wasn't many people anyways, but he would never admit that to her or anyone else.

"Yea, well don't think being one is an easy job. 'Cause it's not." he said, playing along with her quip, and smiled at her. She laughed out loud, eyes crinkling up in amusement.

A comfortable silence settled between the two as they looked at each other. Bushidō gazed at Itori and wondered if there was more to this woman then he knew. He didn't think that her clients knew about this side of her. Itori silently pondered what he was thinking, years of being an information gatherer and distributer had made her acutely aware of other people's habits and emotions, but it was always hard to tell with him.

A few silent minutes passed, the only noise was the tick tocking of the small clock on the TV. Itori, realizing that he was waiting for her to leave, frowned at him from her upside down position and he in turn narrowed his eyes. A silent battle of unspoken words passed between the two of them, which led to Bushidō hanging his head in dismay while Itori grinning in satisfaction.

She swung her legs down from the arm of the couch and stood up, winking at him when he raised his head to look at her. She slowly made her way towards him, hips swaying in her little black dress with each step as her high heels left little indents in the carpeting. She smirked at the way he slightly tensed at her approach, that guarded expression on his face filling her with excitement. She knew he didn't trust her even after all these years, always dodging personal questions and on rare occasions he'd get angry with her, saying that she was being '_fucking nosy_' as he liked to put it. Even still she knew how to push all his right buttons to make him squirm...he was still a man after all.

She stopped her advance when she was just inches away from his body, and looked up at him through half-lidded eyes. His cautious reddish white orbs staring into her own fiery ones. She liked his eyes the most out of all his characteristics; the red, _blood-like _color mixing with opaque milky white. She desperately wanted to sink her teeth into his flesh and taste his blood, but she would wait. Wait until his guarded eyes became cracked windows so she could see into his broken soul.

'_Blood always tastes best when it comes from only the most exhausted of hearts after all._' she thought merrily.

Bushidō felt there might be something else behind those eyes of hers, but his train of thought stopped when she slowly brought a manicured finger up and gentle trailed her nail down his exposed chest, over his still-crossed arms and around each individual ab muscle. He shivered slightly under her touch, and vague wondered why this felt so new to him. Biting her lower lip slightly, she looked down at his arms and ran her hands along his forearms before pushing them gently down. He allowed his limbs to fall to his sides, and he watched her close the gap between them. Itori placed her hands on each of his sturdy breasts and leaned her ear against Bushidō's flesh where she could hear his heartbeat, closed her eyes, and listened.

_lub-dub...lub-dub...lub-dub. _It was a steady heartbeat pumping that sweet nectar throughout his body; she silently commended him for keeping his cool even under these circumstances, although she should have expected it by now.

Bushidō watched her body move back-and-forth slightly; she was moving in sync with his breathing and right hand twitched slightly, wanting to run his hand through her apricot hair. A tiny part of him whispered that she would look so _appetizing _without that dress on but he banished the idea immediately.

They stayed comfortably entwined together for several minutes, Bushidō actually mustering up the gallantry to slightly stroke her hair, which felt silky smooth to the touch. She hummed under his caress and started to trace random patterns on the surface of his skin as she relaxed into his form.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself." Bushidō remarked and Itori let out a single light chuckle, looking up at him as she said; "So are you, considering the lump you've got in your underwear."

All Bushidō could muster was grunting and sliding his eyes away from her stare. He muttered; "I never can win against you, huh?"

"Nope!" Both her and the clown inside her replied. "You'll never win against me, _samurai_." she said, as she rubbed her cheek against his sternum.

He turned his head back at her, raising an eyebrow at the use of her personal nickname for him. Itori just smiled at him, her pink lips quirking upwards, but said nothing. She lowered her hands down to his abdomen as she took a small step backwards, her arms extending out, enjoying the feel of his muscles. She let her arms fall back to her sides after a moment, and her eyes slid from his torso to his bedroom behind him. Bushidō watched her gaze shift and knew that glint in her eye, she was scheming her pranks again.

He brought his arm up and placed it against the opposing side of the doorframe he was leaning against, barring the way into his room. Itori pouted up at him, her lower lip protruding cutely over her upper one. Bushidō responded with saying; "Whatever you're thinking, stop it."

Itori crossed her arms over her chest and indignantly declared; "I'm not thinking anything."

"Lair." he accused, eyes narrowing at her. "The last time I let you in my room, you took a black permanent marker to my PhD certificate and I had to get a new one."

Itori had the audacity to outright laugh at the memory in front of him. He didn't find the humor in it.

"I remember! You were so angry, it was hilarious."

"No, it wasn't." he stated, rather fed up with her attitude. He glanced at the clock on the TV, and silently cursed. It was already five, forty; he needed to leave soon.

"Alright, I think you've had enough fun. Get out." He demanded, and she narrowed her eyes at him in a rare display of annoyance.

"Is that anyway to talk to a woman? I own this apartment anyways, you can't just order me around."

Bushidō stared at her with a look that could only be described as apathetic. "Like hell you're a woman, you're more like a succubus." She didn't retort back, he was sort of right about that.

"Secondly, while you may own this apartment, _I_ am currently in residence here which means you can't just brazenly walk in whenever you want and encroach on my personal belongings. I could sue you, you know." he stated matter-of-factually.

"Then sue me." she challenged, poking him in the middle of his chest with her fingernail. "I have clients in very high places."

Bushidō thought about his recent affiliation with the CCG and he retorted; "So do I."

"Pfft. Yea whatever you say, _doc_."

He shook his head, turned and closed his bedroom door before walking towards the bathroom. "I want you out of here by the time I'm done." he said as he opened the bathroom door.

She followed behind him and stopped when he turned on her, his form hanging in the doorway. "What? You mean I can't join you? I haven't showered today."

He regarded her with a stern look before asking seriously; "What are you really doing here, Itori?"

She knew he was serious whenever he used her name. "Now if I told you that wouldn't it take away from the thrill of figuring it out for yourself?" she asked, smirking up at him knowing that he would fall for her ruse.

He was silent for a while, but he didn't question her further, knowing that he would get nowhere with her. He was about to turn around when she brought her arms up and ran them through his tangled white hair. He didn't shy away from her touch but was a bit surprised by her sudden action.

Stepping closer she brought his head down so she could lean in and whisper in his ear; "_You know you need me.._" Then ran her tongue over the hills and valleys of his ear before biting softly down on his earlobe. She heard him huff in pleasure, his breath blowing her ginger hair and tickling her neck. She knew he was fighting with himself to remain calm and keep his composure, and she relished in his inner turmoil. Kneading his scalp, Itori pushed him back so they were eye level, their faces inches apart.

"_You know you want me..._" she whispered to him, digging her nails into his head. He closed his eyes and hummed, almost agreeingly, clearly enthralled by the treatment she was giving him.

She maneuvered her head and traced her tongue from the base his neck to the tip of his jawline, leaving a trail of siliva. "_I know you_ love _me..._" Something within Bushidō snapped and he straighten up immediately. The ghost of a girl's name on his lips. A flash of brown hair. A innocent smile. A gaping mouth _screaming_ in agony. Grabbing both for her arms roughly, he shoved her back and she stumbled.

"Get the _fuck_ out of here." he said, disdain clearly evident in his voice, his face contorted in rage. "W-What?" she asked, clearly confused at the turn of events.

"Get out." his eyes narrowing into slits. "Get the fuck out." Then he turned away and slammed the bathroom door shut with such force, it cracked the door, sending splinters and wood dust into the air. Itori blinked at the closed door in shock, she'd never seen him that angry at her before. Something must have happened, something damaging. She reached into her cleavage and looked at the string of teeth in bewilderment.

She knew he didn't like to talk about his issues or past, and Itori could only guess at what made his react so hatefully. She knew that he had a dreadful past, his white hair was proof of it.

'_If something extremely tragic happened to him, I can't wait to find out what..._' she thought twistedly. Fixing her wrinkled dress and pushing a few strains of auburn hair back in place, she tied the string around her neck. With her new disturbing necklace of teeth, she took one last look at the bathroom door before walking out of the apartment.

Bushidō leaned over the ugly marble counter in his bathroom, his hands supporting his weight. He looked at his reflection and found the person staring back at him wasn't himself but a insane smiling version of him. Its black orbs with the blood-red iris, silently mocking him as it stared into his own white-reddish ones.

"_We could have had a good time with her. Broken her bones, gripped that long hair of hers as we fuck her brains out-_" His reflection spoke.

"Shut up." he said, interrupting and glowering at his mirrored self.

The demented part of him laughed, a shrill ear-piercing laugh that drilled into his brain. "_You can't keep running from me forever, I'm you after all!_" It said, smiling with a mouth full of bloodied teeth.

"No, I'll never be you, you filthy monster." he seethed at it, his white hair falling into his eyes as he spoke.

"_Wrong!_" His reflection yelled. "_You're already me and I'm already you! You just can't accept the past, so you created me... Don't you see?! YOU CALL ME A MONSTER, BUT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE!_" It screamed at him, blood running from its eyes like tears and flowing from its mouth like a waterfall as it screamed. Bruises and gashes started to appear on its skin oozing puss and blood, then cracking of bones could be heard as Bushidō's reflection started to become disfigured, bones protruding from various spots on his body.

"SHUT UP, JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, fist colliding with the mirror, cracking it into a million little fragments. Each tiny piece now reflected the psychotic part of him. They were all laughing in unison, drowning out all his thoughts and feelings until only deafening madness remained.

With his body shaking like a leaf, Bushidō turned away from the ruined mirror and blindly scrambled to turn on the shower. Finding the nozzle he blasted the cold water and quickly went under the cascade of freezing water. He couldn't even feel the rush of water over his skin, he was numb in both mind and body. Drawing the shower curtain closed so he didn't see the mirror, Bushidō sank down into the fetal postion and rocked back in forth, counting down from ten to one out loud until the laughing stopped.

'_I am not him. I am not him. I am not him-_' He repeated in his mind over and over and _over_ again.

XxXxXx

Akira was not having the best of days, she needed to go see Matsuri Washuu for a briefing about the ongoing Auction investigation. Apparently Sasaki and his squad had found some crucial information pertaining to the location of the auction, but first...

She glanced at the paperwork on her desk, that read:

**_RANK 3 INVESTIGATOR _**

_**Name**: Unknown_

_**Nickname**: Bushidō_

_**Height**: Approximately six feet._

_**Age**: Thirty-three _

**_Abilities_**_: Unknown_

She hated having unknowns; uncertainty always ate away at her, like an annoying misquote that she just couldn't squash not matter how hard she tried.

A single curt knock came from the other side of her office door, and she looked up from her work.

"Come in." she called out. The tall polished wood door opened and Bushidō shuffled into her office, much to her surprise.

'_Speak of the devil..._' she thought dryly. She said nothing and watched him as he silently approached. When he passed by the mirror she saw him flinch slightly. He sat down in one of the two brown leather chairs and glanced at what paperwork she had on her desk.

"Researching me?" he asked, eyes sliding up to her from her desk. Akira could sense there was something off about him today. His attire was normal, a different tie than when she first saw him, but that was about it. His hair was combed forward, white strains falling in front of his eyes and she noticed it was rather damp.

'_Strange..._' she thought.

His expression was, for the most part, blank though there was a hint of friendliness in his voice.

She dismissed her inkling and responded to his question; "Yes, there are too many unknowns about you. Too many for my liking, so why don't we shed some light on them?" she suggested.

"Alright, I'll play along." he said, figuring it would be a good bonding session. "But, I get to ask you questions for every one I answer. Deal?"

Akira narrowed her eyes at him, her mouth turning into a thin line. She'd play this battle of wits, the opportunity was too good to pass up.

"Fine."

"Alright then!" he said, Akira noticed his mood brightened a bit. "First question?" he asked, starting them off.

"Do you have any affiliation with Aogiri Tree?"

"No."

She watched him very carefully for any sign of deception, but she found none. She wrote down his answer in her notes.

When she was done writing, she nodded to him to ask his question.

"Do you have a lover?" he asked, and she almost choked on her own tongue. "E-Excuse me?" He laughed at her reaction, his voice clear like a mountain stream.

"You didn't specify what types of questions we had to ask." He explained, and she glowered at him. "You don't have to answer, but then you can't ask anymore questions."

She silently cursed, he had trapped her in her own game. "No, I'll answer."

"I.." A tall man's face flashed before her eyes and she recalled his name. '_Amon..._' she thought sorrowfully.

"No, I don't have a lover." she said after a moment of contemplation.

"...I see. A lovely lady like yourself must be under the eye of some of the male investigators." he commented, and she glared venomously at him.

"You shouldn't talk so casually like that, you are still an enemy to me." she snapped saucily at him, her braided bun of blond hair bouncing slightly.

"Ah, you're right... Forgive me. I believe it is your turn now."

"What do you know about them?" she asked, referring to Aogiri. Bushidō smirked at her and replied; "I don't understand."

Realizing her mistake, she tried to rephrase her question only to be interrupted. "You're only allowed to ask one question, and I answered it. I do believe it is my turn." he said, grinning smugly at her annoyed expression.

She wanted to stab him with her pen; he was enjoying this too much.

"Fine, go ahead." she sighed, ready to be asked another provocative question.

"Why did the CCG brainwash Ken Kaneki?"

Akira stared, stunned and wide-eyed at the ghoul siting across from her. "I-I'm sorry?"

"You heard me." he said, standing his ground. "If you don't want to answer the question that's fine, just know that the game ends here."

'_How does he know that... There are only five people who know Haise's true identity, myself included. And all documents pertaining to his existence were destroyed! Learning such an elusive secret..._' she mused, her mind going into overdrive.

Bushidō sighed, catching her attention and he stood up. Staring down at her, he spoke; "Well, it looks like were done here. I'll be leaving then." He turned to walk out...

"_NO_!" she yelled out, standing up from her chair. He turned around, slightly taken aback by her increase in volume. "You don't understand. What you know is highly classified information that only a select few people know."

"So?" He said, mentally grinning as he watched her get increasing angrier at his aloof attitude.

"This isn't some sort of game." She said in-between gritted teeth. "You can't just walk out of here knowing such secrets, when headquarters hears about this-"

"Lets get one thing straight." Bushidō began, walking up to her desk so they were its length apart. "I came to the CCG out of my own accord. I could have easily lived out my life, with you never knowing I even existed." Akira watched him talk, serious and straightforward; he dominated the conversation.

"But here I am, a ghoul who, trust me when I say this because _I really do mean it_, you'd very much like to have on your side then the enemies."

After a moment to let his words seep in, he swiftly picked up the paper that had his information on it. "And this." he pointed to his investigator rank. "This is just a ploy, I don't work for you. You all work for me."

His speech done, he stood; waiting for her to respond.

"When this is all over." she began, her voice shaking with fury. "Whatever it is you are trying to do, with your little game you're trying to play, I will see you _rot_ in Cochlea."

She defiantly stared him down, and after a few tense moments she looked down at her digital clock on her desk. She mentally cursed, she needed to leave now if she was going to make it on time.

She looked back up at him, and found him looking...impressed? Well, whatever; she needed to get going.

"You're coming with me. I'm not going to let you out of my sight, until you tell me exactly how you got that information." she said to him, as she cleaned up her desk. Filling her paperwork into a manila folder.

He opened his mouth to talk, but she interrupted him before he could speak; "You will not talk at this meeting, you will not move at this meeting. You will stand perfectly still and I will answer any questions that pertain to you. Are we clear?"

"Crystal."

* * *

**A.N) Well, what can I say? I do love me some good ol'fashion contextual borderline foreplay. (Haha. I kid, I kid.) I know this isn't moving the plot along very much, well I guess it kind'of is since two days have passed. Anyways, this chapter was establishing ****Bushidō's relationship with Itori. Amongst, other things. Like more mysterious backstory! I imagined Itori being a borderline sex addict when it came to guys that she manipulates. Since she sort of did this in the manga, with her almost flashing those ghoul investigators 'n all.**

**Lub-dub is the official medical writing of a heartbeat.**

**So yea, if ya don't like that scene just replace their names with Kaneki and Touka. ;) (Although that would make Touka a crazy blood-obsessed Clown, but hey!)**

**Again, if you could kindly review that would make my life. Thanks.**


	8. The Washuu Meeting

**A.N) Shorter chapter this time around, but hey, I wanted to get this one out as soon as possible. Some comedy in this chapter and lots of tense moments. ****Bushidō gets to flex his doctor muscles.**

**Also, LIPS.**

***Review Feedback***

**Demons Anarchy of Pride: Yea, we haven't. I like Sasaki as an extension of Kaneki's personality, I find him to be a breath of fresh air from white haired Kaneki. Don't how Bushidō will tell Kaneki just yet, but he will find out one way or another. **

**xxxDreamingflowerxxx: Your welcome! I always like finding long reviews, so thanks again! Yea, Itori is a bit of an odd choice but remember they aren't actually a couple or anything. Its more of a sexual tension thing for Bushidō. (Poor guy) **

**Yea, Akira and Bushidō are quite the funny pair. Laid-back, carefree ghoul clashes with head-strong stubborn ghoul investigator. How could it not be great? Don't worry, I can assure you I will put the M-rated tag to good use, just going to have to wait for those gory and steamy scenes. **

**togetherweloki'd: Ah, alright cool. Thanks for logging in and reviewing. Yea, there won't be a serious fight between the two of them, but I'm thinking about some sparring sessions down the road. **

**If you could kindly review it would make my life. Thanks.**

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Itori made her way down the dirty hallway to her little slice of heaven: Helter Skelter. Her high heels making a _click clack _sound as she walked, she came to a hault at the entrance, _her_ entrance. Opening the door that was much more stylish and polished than the rest of the cracked and faded doors in the hallway, Itori found Roma and Nico seated at the bar.

"I see you let yourselves in." she called out to them.

"Jeez~" Roma drawled out, leaning backwards and tilting her head towards Itori. "What'cha mean by that sis~." she said with a lopsided grin.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?" Itori said as she made her way behind the bar, smacking the back of Roma's head along the way for good measure. She bent over, searching for a wine glass and the special bottle of blood 'wine' under the counter.

"My~ My~ What do you have there Itori-chan?" Nico asked, his eyebrows lifting as he noticed the necklace of teeth. "That's quite beautiful."

"Oh this?" she asked, straightening out when she had gotten her provisions. She smiled, an emotion between sadistic and joyful passing over her face as she looked down at the disturbing piece of jewelry. "It was a gift from my samurai."

"No far!~" Roma cried out in indignation. "When will you let us meet your boytoy! You keep talking about him, but we've never seen him. And you've been talking about him for a loooong~ time!"

"Roma, like I told you last night, you're too selfish." the afro okama said from his place next to her on the bar stools, his flamboyant outfit revealing more skin than necessary. "Let Itori have her fun, but _I_ wouldn't mind meeting this warrior of yours." he said, looking at Itori expectantly.

"Dream on okama. I wouldn't let your ass be within ten yards of him." Itori said, pouring herself a glass. "Besides, he hasn't ripened yet."

"What!~" Roma exclaimed, pushing her cheeks together with her hands. "Usually your fruits are ripe within a few months to a year. What makes him so special!"

"Well, lets just say.." Itori started, then took a sip from her glass, staining her teeth and lips blood red. "that he is _very_ _damaged_."

XxXxXx

"_But?_" Matsuri Washuu asked, haughtily. He leaned forward slightly, pressing his fingers into his forehead. "_What exactly do you mean, Rank One Sasaki?_"

The atmsophere changed drastically as Sasaki felt intimidation roll off of Matsuri in waves. He stared in silence, unable to speak at the man's blatant lack of compassion for a fellow investigator. Juuzou used the gap in coversation to speak up.

"Associate Special Class Washuu." Matsuri slid his eyes to the other Associate Special Class. "Can I also participate in the auction?"

"Ju-" Sasaki had to stop himself from saying Juuzou's first name. "Associate Special Class Suzuya?" he questioned formally. Juuzou said nothing, he just watched Matsuri, who now had his forearms, parallel to each other, placed on the elaborate conference table.

Matsuri stared at Juuzou, his black coal eyes scrutinizing the stitched investigator as Sasaki turned to Juuzou and asked; "What do you mean?" His tone clearly showing concern for his friend.

"How about I pretend to be Mutsuki's friend? Isn't better to have one more person to fuck over the place from the inside out?" Juuzou proposed, leaning slightly forward over the table, his hairpins refracting the rays of sunlight that came through the tall elegant windows. His eyes crinkled closed as he smiled lackadaisically at the Washuu elitist, despite the use of his vulgar language.

After a moment of contemplation Matsuri leaned back into his chair, his clean-cut black striped suit wrinkling a bit has he slid his left arm across the table.

"Are you going to wear a disguise as well?"

"Yes. I'm used to that." Juuzou responded, and Matsuri saw an emotion akin to remembrance flash across his face for the briefest of seconds. Leaning forward, he enclosed one hand into a fist and placed his other hand over it as Juuzou and himself had an intense stare down.

After a few seconds Matsuri relented; "...Okay. I approve."

"Thank you very much." Juuzou said, and he propped his elbows up on the table, his hands covering his face from Matsuri as he turned to Sasaki to stick his tongue out at the grey-haired half ghoul. Sasaki smiled slightly at the stitched black-haired investigator, silently thanking him for his support.

Just then a knock came from behind them and Matsuri called out for whoever was behind the luxurious doors to enter. Sasaki looked back to find Akira, Take Hirako, Shimoguchi, and...Bushidō?

'_What is he even doing here?_' he wondered. On second glance he noticed Shimoguchi shooting heavy glares at the white-haired ghoul, although Sasaki couldn't understand why. Only a few people knew that Bushidō was a ghoul and Shimoguchi wasn't one of them. Akira looked peeved, but she remained composed in front of everyone while Take had a ghost of a smile on his face.

He peeked back at Bushidō and noticed his slightly damp hair was messily strewn across his forehead and in his eyes. Sasaki vaguely wondered what that meant. After all, It seemed whatever the older ghoul did was for a reason. Bushidō made eye-contact and winked at Sasaki, before turning his attention to the Washuu man.

Matsuri Washuu didn't even acknowledge him, instead he addressed the other ghoul investigators by surname before saying; "Our Division Two and Suzuya's squad will receive command of your three units."

Finally, he made eye contact with the elephant in the room and narrowed his already slender eyes at the reddish-white orbs staring back at him. "Who are you, exactly? I don't recall asking you to come to this meeting."

Akira made a noise in the back of her throat to catch his attention. "I apologize Associate Special Class Washuu. This is..."

_Ten minutes earlier._

Bushidō walked side by side with Akira, up stairs and through the hallways of the CCG Headquarters. He was impressed...the architecture was top-notch. Sleek milky white high-rise ceilings, polished white granite columns, and spotless sparkling silvery floor tiles. He wondered how much money the CCG had spent on building this skyscraper.

'_They really spared no expense,_ _huh?_' he thought, as he looked around. The headquarters was like walking into a miniature version of Tokyo. Huge amounts of people rushing back and forth, the crowded hallways, resembling street walkways. The only thing missing was be a ramen noodle stand.

'_Maybe there is one in here somewhere? Would be a good place to open shop at with so many people in one area, and what not._' he thought, his mind going on a tangent.

He glanced at Akira out of the corner of his peripheral vision. In her overcoat pocket sat the RC cell detector disrupter, and Bushidō's thoughts trailed back to the chestnut-haired receptionist. He remembered the first day he saw her, quaking in terror at the sight of him. All he did was smile at her, and she looked like she wanted run to the nearest vehicle and drive far_ far_ away. When Akira and him had walked up to the reception desk to get the device, she paled at the sight of him and avoided eye-contact with either of them. It took a few apologizes from Bushidō and heavy dose of coaxing from Akira to get the woman to calm down.

'_What was her name again? Rei..no, that wasn't it. Rio! That's right, Rio_ _Hoshino!_' He mentally exclaimed.

Taking a right down a surprisingly vacant hallway, Bushidō noticed two men standing by a pair of lavishly designed wooden doors. The light brown-haired man was wearing a black CCG uniform; while the big-lipped, short mohawk styled black-haired man wore an identical white suit.

As Bushidō approached he observed that the investigator's lips were larger than he first realized. Oh. He was going to have _fun_ with this man, he thought; inwardly smirking.

Shimoguchi, noticing their arrival, turned and faced them, his face pulling into a frown. Bushidō found that it made his lips look even more ridiculous, and he had to fight with himself to keep a straight face.

"You're late, Mado-san." he said, clearly not afraid to hide his disdain. His eyes shifted from her to Bushidō, and Shimoguchi narrowed his eyes in distrust. "Who is this? Washuu-san only called the three of us to the meeting."

'_Oh god, stop. With your squinted eyes and frown, you look like you're taking a shit. If you make another face like that I won't be able to stop myself..._' Bushidō thought, a laugh threatening to bubble up from his chest.

Take Hirako bowed slightly in Akira's direction and greeted her formally; "Hello, First Class Mado-san."

Akira returned the gesture and greeting before turning to Shimoguchi and saying; "He's the newest addition to Quinx Squad. His-"

"Was your mother a fish?" Bushidō asked suddenly, looking at Shimoguchi, interrupting Akira and catching the trio of investigators off-guard. All of them blinked in surprise; Akira, being the first one to recover, glared so fiercely at him, Bushidō thought his brain might explode from the sheer killing intent that was being directed towards his skull.

Shimoguchi's mouth turned into a thin line, his lips crinkling and wrinkling making it look absolutely hideous, and replied. "What sort of question is that? Are you mocking me?"

It was _so_ tempting to just say, "Yes!" and burst out laughing, but he couldn't do that, it'd ruin the joke. So instead the corner of his mouth twitched upwards, hardly able to repress the smile that was forcing its way onto his face as he glanced over at Akira.

She was beyond angry. Her eyes promised death, but she knew he didn't care, she could tell by the mirth in his eyes and a silent exchange of words passed between the two. Then her upper lip curled into a snarl, because she _knew_ he wasn't going to back down from this. He always managed to do whatever he wanted, but that would end when she had him behind a reinforced glass wall and drugged with copious amounts of RC suppressants.

"_Don't you dare-_" she started to whisper at him, but his head turned back towards the large-lipped investigator before she could finish. "A perfectly normal question, I believe." Bushidō said, answering Shimoguchi's first question and dodging the second. "Considering how gigantic your lips are,*snicker*, I could only assume your mother was a fish, you know? Because you have,*snort*, _fish lips." _

Shimoguchi stared wide-eyed in shock utterly floored at the insult, his mouth flapping open and closed like a gaping fish, trying and failing to find a comeback and Bushidō completely lost it. Clenching his hand into a fist, he brought it up to his smiling mouth, bit down on the knuckle of his protruding index finger, and spun away from the insulted investigator. He chortled between his teeth, unable to keep his laughter contained any longer.

'_It's too much..I can't...His freaking face...Oh god..._' he thought as he continued to chuckle to himself.

Akira was not laughing, she wasn't even slightly smiling. Her body shook with barely-controlled rage as she glared viciously at his back. She imagined taking her Amatsu whip and strangling him with it, and her hand twitched, seriously contemplating the deadly scheme. It would be so easy just to slip up behind him, snake Amatsu around his neck and _tighten _it until he was no more. Then she remembered that he knew about Sasaki's true identity and she paused. He had somehow gotten a hold of that information, meaning there was a good possibility that there was a leak within the CCG's web of intelligence. If so, she would need to find out as soon as possible. It was a issue of utmost security.

She wouldn't strangle him for his rude and disrespectful behavior, _yet_...

Her inner monologue finished, she shot a glance at Hirako. The stoic plain-looking man had said nothing throughout the entire exchange and Akira found him quivering ever so slightly, _almost_ as if he was trying to contain his laughter. If she looked closely Akira could see the corners of his mouth lifted upwards.

'_I'm surrounded by imbeciles..._' she thought, aggravated. She felt like she was babysitting toddlers. These were grown men that killed ghouls, yet they had the maturity level of a two-month old.

She turned her head to Shimoguchi, preparing to apologize, but she found him scowling deeply at her.

"_Learn to control your damn subordinates!_' He furiously told her; whether his face was red with anger or embarrassment she didn't know. Hirako immediately stopped trembling with silent laughter, and straightened up to his full height for fear of Shimoguchi's wrath.

Shimoguchi's outburst didn't deter Bushidō, the ghoul was still snickering to himself. All three investigators turned their heads in unison towards the white-haired man.

Senseing a vague bloodlust, Bushidō abruptly stopped and shaft tilted, staring at the three of them; his one eye barely visible from under his matted damp white strains.

"...What?" he asked, clearly oblivious to the glares from both Akira and Shimoguchi.

"Y-Y-You d-disrespectful-" Shimoguchi began to rant, but was interrupted when Bushidō turned fully towards him and said with a smile; "Ah, It was just a little joke. You looked pretty depressed so I thought I'd crack one to cheer you up."

'_So he noticed the fact that Shimoguchi was burdened by the loss of his squad._' she mentally deduced. Akira just shook her head, she wasn't going to waste the energy on a verbal battle that would go nowhere. One thing she was starting to learn about the ghoul was that he did things for a reason, she just had to figure out _what_ reasons...

Shimoguchi, a little shocked that this mysterious man saw through his façade, fumbled in his retort. "J-Joke?! You clearly insulted me! You even _laughed_!"

"Aw, come now Lips-san. I wasn't laughing at you, I was laughing with our friend over here." He gestured to Hirako, who brought his hands up as if to say 'Don't look at me, I didn't do that.'

Fortunately, Shimoguchi was hung up on the fact that Bushidō had called him Lips-san, so he didn't comprehend the rest of what Bushidō had said.

"Enough." Akira said, cutting into the conversation sharply. "Since we are all here I suggest we head in now, yes?" she proposed, looking at the three men.

"Sure." Bushidō replied, and she stared him down for a moment, a silent warning to keep quiet.

Hirako nodded, the usual blank look back on his face, while Shimoguchi just glared at the white-haired man in front of him. He grumbled out an affirmative and Akira walked up to the double doors and knocked once, her knuckles tapping against the wood.

Bushidō used Akira's absence to shuffle closer to Take Hirako and whisper to him; "_You got a kick out of that, didn't you?_"

Bushidō smirked at him when Hirako just passively stared back, not rising to the bait. Seeing Bushidō whispering to Hirako, Shimoguchi spoke up; "Oi! What the hell are you whispering over there, bastard!"

Ignoring their bickering, Akira heard an audable "Enter." and glared back at the trio, silently telling them to shut up and ushering them to follow her inside.

Bushidō was surprised to see Sasaki and Juuzou sitting down in front of him. He winked at Sasaki when the half ghoul looked over at him. He noticed a man in a black striped suit across the long polished table. Bushidō took in his black slick-backed mullet, the glasses perfectly perched on his defined nose, and the piercing, calculating stare that came forth from eyes that resembled chucks of coal.

'_This man cares little for humans and ghouls alike_.' he thought, observing the way the man spoke to each of the ghoul investigators beside him. The Washuu elitist finally made eye contact with Bushidō, narrowing his eyes at the unknown individual.

"Who are you, exactly? I don't recall asking you to come to this meeting."

Akira made a noise in the back of her throat to catch his attention. "I apologize Associate Special Class Washuu. This is..."

"The name is Isao Kurosawa." Bushidō interrupted, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. Akira didn't even glare at him, too shocked by the fact that he had given an _actual name_.

"Isao Kurosawa?" Matsuri said, mulling over the name. "I do not recognize the name."

"I don't blame you, a dignitary such as yourself wouldn't know a name like mine." Bushidō said, smiling slightly. Mutsuri stared at him, apparently unaffected by the flattery.

"I am a doctor in the field of psychology specializing in extreme cases of psychosis and I am familiar with the anatomy of ghouls and their mentality. I'm currently evaluating the mental health of the Quinx Squad and seeing if they are fit for field work." he explained.

Sasaki suddenly remembered that day at the thirteenth ward branch office, when Bushidō had told him that he had a PhD. '_What is he getting at?_' Sasaki wondered. '_Wouldn't it be better just to say that he was actually a part of Quinx Squad instead?_' Realization stuck Sasaki then; '_Of course not! Washuu-san dislikes our squad! ...But then how did __ Bushidō know that?..._'

If Mutsuri was surprised, he didn't show it. He slid his eyes over to the sitting Sasaki. "...I see."

Leaning backwards in his chair, he raised his head to the ceiling in a thoughtful expression. After a moment he asked; "In your professional opinion, do you believe that Quinx Squad is mentally fit for combat?" He looked back at Bushidō and leaned forward, his fingers intertwining on the table.

Sasaki stiffened in his seat, and his thoughts went back to each of his subordinates. Urie especially, since he knew that Bushidō and him did not have the best of relations. Sasaki silently prayed that Bushidō would say positive things about them.

"Well..." Bushidō started, "Do you mind if I sit down first?"

Mutsuri narrowed his eyes every so slightly but reluctantly allowed him. The Washuu was suspicious about this individual; this Isao Kurosawa... Those eyes weren't the eyes of a normal person.

"Why don't you all come sit down as well?" Bushidō gestured to the three investigators, as he sat down in the corner chair next Sasaki. As they grudging complied, Akira sending him a withering glare for good measure. Bushidō turned to Sasaki for a quick moment and winked, signaling that every was fine. Sasaki hoped it was; for both their sakes.

Bushidō then turned to face Juuzou, and greeted him with a smile.

"Good morning, Associate Special Class Suzuya-san."

"Sup. You brush your teeth today?" the stitched investigator asked nonchalantly, dark orbs staring at him, and Bushidō had to stop himself from chuckling. He was beginning to like Juurou more and more every time they met. The inside joke went over everyone else's head, save for Sasaki, whom tried very hard not heave a heavy sigh.

"Yes, I did." he answered, before turning to Mutsuri Washuu. "Now, I do believe that Quinx Squad is made up of some very promising investigators." Mutsuri raised an eyebrow at this, but said nothing, clearly not believing what he was hearing.

"Rank One investigator Haise Sasaki is an excellent superior to his subordinates from what I have observed." Sasaki looked dumbfounded by the compliment as he stared at Bushidō, mouth slightly agape. Bushidō mentally cursed to himself, he had almost called him Kaneki by accident.

"He has shown great care for those under his wing and his leadership skills are...favorable." Sasaki inwardly cringed at that last word. He knew he wasn't the best leader, but he still didn't like it when someone said it out loud. It felt like a kagune to the gut, making him bleed out his self-confidence.

"...Go on." Mutsuri said, not impressed in the slightest. "While I have not been able to have the pleasure of seeing Sasaki's-san mental state while in battle." Akira and Sasaki both thought of the Serpent indecent simultaneously. "I can say that, from conversations with him, he does not show any signs of declining mental health or psychotic tendencies."

Mutsuri Washuu hummed, seemingly complacent with the terminology being thrown around. "What about his subordinates?" he asked, eyes ever analyzing Bushidō.

"Which one?" Bushidō asked, silently challenging Mutsuri. The Washuu investigator was not happy; whoever this person was, was very shady and _very very_ crafty.

"Tooru Mutsuki."

Sasaki snapped to attention and looked over to Bushidō, and even Juuzou watched him, reading the increasing tense atmosphere.

"Tooru Mutsuki..." Bushidō repeated, bringing his hand to rub against his chin in thought. "Mutuski-san is one of the most observant ones on the squad."

"He has shown a considerable amount of growth as an individual, I dare say the most growth out of all of Quinx members. Although..."

Sasaki flinched, he knew what was coming next. Tooru was very timid when it came battles, and Tooru had told him on more than one occasion that fighting frightened him.

"Mutsuki-san seems to have a reluctance to fight, whether it stems from a deep-rooted psychological fear, or a very traumatic experience I do cannot say. However, I have seen him overcome this unwillingness when he is serious."

"...How could you seen it if you've never seen the squad go into battle?" Mutsuri asked, leaning forward, his eyes staring intensely over his glasses.

Not missing a beat Bushidō replied; "Three days ago, when Quinx Squad met with Associate Special Class Suzuya's-san Squad, Suzuya-san wanted to have a training session on the roof of the building."

All eyes turned to Juuzou, who blinked in mild surprise at Bushidō's response. "Is this true, Associate Special Class Suzuya?" Mutsuri asked, his eyes sliding from Bushidō to Juuzou.

"Ahh~, yup. We had a sparring session, it was pretty fucking boring though." Juuzou said, titling his head and placing a index finger on his chin remembering the memory.

Knowing that trying to reprimand Juuzou for his foul language would be futile, Mutsuri Washuu just looked over to Sasaki, seeing if there was any trace of doubt he could find on the gray-haired investigator's face. Unfortunately, he found none.

"Is there any other questions you have about Tooru Mutsuki?" Bushidō asked, smiling pleasantly at Mutsuri. The Washuu elitist furrowed his eyebrows and frowned slightly, the dark stubble on his chin moving as he did.

This man was playing him, _him!_; _A Washuu!_ He dared to look down on the Washuu clan... Well two could play at that game.

"Yes, in fact I do have one more question." Mutsuri said. "I'd like you to describe it, please." Akira inwardly cringed, this was what she was trying to avoid. Now Bushidō had riled Mutsuri Washuu up, which only meant disaster was about happen. She moved her eyes over to Bushidō; there was too much for him to hide, he had to lie to get out of this situation.

"...I'm sorry?" Bushidō asked after a moment of utter silence. "You said that you've seen him overcome his weakness, I want you to describe how he did that." Mutsuri said, inwardly confident that he had backed the reddish-white eyed doctor into an inescapable corner.

"Don't you think that's-" Sasaki started, but was interrupted when Bushidō raised his hand to silence him.

"Yes, I believe I can, though you will have to forgive me if my memory is a bit faulty. Battles are not necessarily my forte." Bushidō stated, staring down Mutsuri's scrutinizing gaze.

After a few unbearable tense moments, Mutsuri nodded slightly in understanding, his black eyes never leaving Bushidō's face.

"From what I recall Mutsuki-san was becoming more and more distressed as he watched the spar that inculded Squad Leader Shirazu and Urie-san." Bushidō explained.

Sasaki knew that was true, of course Bushidō was leaving out the fact that he was also in that spar, but he didn't speak up. He had seen Tooru watch their battle and knew the dark-skinned teenager was silently wishing that he could use his kagune as well.

"Although I, personally, do not know why, I can only assume from his lack of enthusiasm for confrontation that he felt inadequate to his fellow squadmates." Bushidō said, making small hand gestures as he spoke. Sasaki was very impressed in how Bushidō was able to tell the tale that wasn't the entire truth but he wasn't lying either.

"So, when it was Mutsuki's-san turn to spar, He was reluctant to say the least. Mutsuki-san got pulverized in his training, because he wasn't taking it seriously."

Akira's eyes shifted from Bushidō to Sasaki and noticed how the the investigator winced. '_He cares too much for his squad__. In the upcoming auction, they all might not make it out alive..._' she solemnly thought.

"So, what your insinuating is that Rank Three Mutsuki-san is weak?" Mutsuri asked. '_All the more reason to throw him inside the auction. The CCG doesn't need weak-willed investigators._' The striped suited man thought coldly.

"Not at all, the young man is more than capable when his back is against the wall." If the cold attitude from the Washuu clansman made Bushidō angry, he didn't show it.

"When Mutsuki-san realized he was seriously injured, he was able to release his kagune. If I had to describe how...I would say that he had an epiphany."

"...An epiphany." Mutsuri Washuu drawled out, mouth slightly agape, tilting his head slightly as he stared incredulously at Bushidō from behind his glasses; clearly unsatisfied with the answer.

If it wasn't such a tense atmosphere, Juuzou would have laughed at how Bushidō was able to make the usually stoic and unflinching Washuu make such a face. It was _fucking_ priceless. Either the reddish-white eyed man was a genius or the most ballsy person he had every met. To make up such elaborate ruse without even batting an eyelash; truly a expert in deception.

"Yes, an epiphany. He must have realized that running from your fears and problems only makes them worse. So he confronted them, and became stronger because of it."

A voice in within the depths of his mind whispered to him; "_You mean what you haven't done for all your life?_" Bushidō mentally steeled his nerves, making sure his expression remained unchanged, as he quelled his inner demons.

With his elbows propped on the table, he turned his palms up towards the ceiling in a gesture of explanation as he said; "A simple name for what had occurred is that he matured."

Silence for a whole excruciating long five seconds, before Mutsuri reached up and removed his glasses with one hand, while closing his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his nose with the other hand and Sasaki let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Akira couldn't believe it. He had actually managed to outmaneuver the Washuu elitist in a battle of wits and dialogue. Bushidō eyes found hers and the corner of mouth lifted in a little smirk.

'_Bastard._' she thought. '_He knows that I doubted him..._' Still, how could she not have? This was a _Washuu_ he went up against.

Bushidō looked over from Akira to Juuzou, the black-haired investigator was opening grinning at him, and he gave the white-haired ghoul a thumbs up. Bushidō would have grinned back if he hadn't heard Mutsuri Washuu sigh in exasperation.

"Is there something wrong, would you like me to continue with Squad Leader Shirazu-san or perhaps Urie-san?" Bushidō asked politely, watching the Associate Special Class investigator put on his glasses.

"No." he said, clearly fed up with Bushidō. "I do not want to hear your nonsensical voice again." Mutsuri snapped, opening glaring at the white-haired man.

As if expecting that answer, Bushidō simply nodded complying with the other man's demand. He turned his head away from the glaring Washuu and towards Sasaki. They made eye contact, and Bushidō winked at him as if to say; "_See? Told you so._"

Sasaki inwardly sighed, he was relieved that Bushidō's cover wasn't blown but to go to such extremes just to win an argument...

"Now." Mutsuri said, drawing the attention of everyone present. "I will began the explanation of our Auction Wipeout Plan...

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**A.N) Good old Lips-san. I know not much action is going on, but once the ball gets rolling it will _get rolling_. Catch my drift?**

**Remember to review so your name can posted next chapter when I do shout-outs!**


	9. The Masked Samurai and Creeping Trees

**A.N) ****Another update! Lots of symbolism and foreshadowing in this chapter. Don't take what you read for face value, a lot of it has a inner meaning. More character development, and slight plot progression. We are getting closer to the auction! Can't wait to start writing it, but alas proper build-up is in order.**

***Review Feedback***

**Demons Anarchy of Pride: Glad you laughed, a bit more humor in this chapter. Have fun reading!**

**purpleswans: Yea, more than just Itori are starting to take an interest in ****Bushidō. I'm glad he is your favorite character, I try to make him as believable as possible for an OC. Ahaha, yea the whole Washuu thing was pretty good huh? Glad you liked it!**

**xxxDreamingflowerxxx: Hey, I think you may have already been following and accidentally unfollowed? Because I saw your name in the followed section and now I don't. Anyways, Sasaki is a bit of a tsukkomi which is kinda my fault, i guess i made him slightly OoC. Akira reactions are just fun to write, so thats why she's portrayed like that. Hopefully she isn't too OoC. Yea Juuzou will go ham at the auction, not quite the extent that Sui Ishida made him do but he'll still be a relevant character when shit goes down.**

**If you could kindly review that would make my life. Thanks.**

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As much as Bushidō wanted to put his own two cents in about the drawbacks to the CCG's Auction plan, he kept his mouth shut. He just silently watched the other occupants in the room, namely Mutsuri; as they discussed the layout of their strategy. This did not go unnoticed by the Washuu elitist, whom glared at the white-haired psychologist every so often.

Fortunately, Juuzou remembered what Bushidō had said three days ago, and relayed his opinion for him. When asked about how he had come up with such an off-the-wall theory, Juuzou chalked it up to "A sweets-induced epiphany." This obviously did not bode well with Mutsuri, who glared angrily at the stitched investigator. As such, the Washuu elitist dismissed the theory immediately. Bushidō did get a kick out of it though. He had to bite down on his tongue to stop of chuckling, when Juuzou looked his way and winked to him.

When Bushidō heard the date of the auction he was mildly troubled. '_November eleventh...Remembrance Day. How ominous... _' he thought darkly. He was also worried for both Tooru and Juuzou. _Especially Tooru_.

Both of them could be walking right into a trap, and without the help of the CCG they would be slaughtered. The only surprise they would have would be Mutsuki's kagune. '_And Suyuza's unpredictable nature. Even I don't know what he is thinking..._' Bushidō mused, casting a glance at the stitched investigator.

After the meeting Shimoguchi was the first one to leave, storming out and down the hallway. Sasaki wanted to ask him how he was holding up, but the big-lipped investigator left before he could even call out to him. Take Hirako walked off without a word, while Bushidō and Akira strolled out of the meeting room together behind Juuzou and Sasaki.

"Juuzou!" Sasaki called out to him. Juuzou turned around, regarding the half-ghoul with a friendly stare.

"Thanks for earlier." the half ghoul said, smiling.

"Ah, No biggie." Juuzou said, then leaning slightly forward, his eyes staring downward and growing distant, he said; "There is someone I've been wanting to meet for a long time."

Before Sasaki could decipher Juuzou's expression or his words, Bushidō walked up beside him and grinned at Juuzou. "That was a good performance at the end, you _almost_ made me laugh."

The black-haired Associate Special Class investigator gave Bushidō a lopsided grin. Even if this man might be a ghoul, he was still a good sport. Not to mention he put a _Washuu_ down for the count. "Well, you stole the show with making Washuu tap out. That was priceless."

"Quit acting like children." Akira reprimanded, walking up and leaning her back against the creamy white walls of the hallway. She crossed her arms, staring with her violet eyes at them accusingly.

"Ah, come off your high horse Mado-san. I know you were impressed." Bushidō replied, smirking at the way she avoided his eyes and grumbled to herself incoherently.

Sasaki bowed to Juuzou; "Please take care of Mutsuki." he said, grateful that Juuzou would risk his life for his subordinate. "Same to you." Juuzou said, bowing in return.

Straightening up, Juuzou turned to Akira and asked curiously; "What was up Shimoguchi's ass? He took off in quite the hurry."

Akira just brought a hand up to place over her eyes as she shook her head in exasperation, while Bushidō grinned from ear to ear.

"Oh, he's just upset I called him fish lips." Bushidō said nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders while speaking.

"You _what_?!" Sasaki blurted out in disbelief, eyes widening. Meanwhile Juuzou laughed, bending over in amusement.

"..You seriously! Oh man...that's hilarious." Juuzou said between guffaws.

The white-haired ghoul basked in Juuzou's reaction before raising his right arm and tousling Sasaki's hair with his hand in an almost brotherly fashion, pushing his head down and wrinkling his suit in the process. "Relax, Sasaki-senpai. Lips-san is fine. No need to cry over spilled milk, ya know?"

"_L-Lips-san_!" Sasaki cried out, appalled by Bushidō's nickname for Shimoguchi as he shoved the man's hand off of his head. Juuzou grinned at Bushidō's teasing, shaking his head; his black strains of hair swaying across his forehead.

After Juuzou composed himself, he waved to the rest of them as he took off; skipping down the hallway.

Akira pushed off the wall with her back, unfolded her arms and spoke up; "This operation is going to be huge Haise. There are a considerable amount of achievements at stake here." Both Sasaki and Bushidō were now turned towards her, listening intently. "I know you aren't looking for a promotion, and this also applies for your subordinates as well." Her eyes flashing to Bushidō for the quickest of moments.

"But hauling in these big achievements-"

"Requires big risks, something like that right?" Sasaki said, interrupting her.

"...Yeah, this is Associate Special Class Mutsuri we are talking about; he will be ruthless with his orders." Sasaki stared at his black polished shoes as she spoke, thinking about his underlings. He didn't want any of them to _die_...

"...Also, Rank 3 Mutsuki is in a very hard position as well." Akira said, looking out at someplace that neither Bushidō or Sasaki could see. "In this job...there isn't a single person who hasn't lost something." Bushidō narrowed his reddish-white orbs at her almost-pained expression. There was a ghost of an emotion there, he just _knew_ it.

Akira looked back at Sasaki, seriousness in her gaze and voice, and spoke; "Become _strong_, Haise. Become strong and kill ghouls." He slightly nodded at her, his eyes not reaching her face, as he swallowed the lump in his throat.

"The ones who lose the least are the ones with the most power..."

"You're _wrong_..." Bushidō said, catching the attention of both investigators, his expression a complete reversal of his previously light mood. "Those who lose the least are the ones with the most _innocence_."

"Wha-" Akira started to question, looking into his orbs. They seemed to look right through her, past all her prejudice, all her pain, past her very _soul_. All was laid bare before the wisdom she saw behind his eyes.

"It is only through loss can we learn about this world. The pain of others, the pain within ourselves; the loss we feel gives us identity. It makes us appreciate the happy times of peace and tranquility, however short-lived they may be. Those who lose the most are the ones who can truly understand what this world is."

A long stretch of time passed after he spoke, Akira stunned into silence while Sasaki stared; wide-eyed at the man beside him. '_What terrible things happened to him, to make __Bushidō think in such a morbid way?_' he wondered.

"...What exactly is this world then?" Akira Mado asked, finding her voice again. His eyes glazed over, becoming a blend of murky red and white. She saw his body tense under his stylish black suit, his mouth clenching shut and quivering, almost as if he was trying to keep it closed.

Then the moment passed, and Bushidō became focused again. "This world is a _cage_..." he said slowly, his eyes boring into Akira's own. "Locking its occupants inside, forever to look out at the possibilities shown to them, but never within their reach to grasp. And none can escape. Not ghouls, and not humans."

Both Akira and Sasaki said nothing for a long time, drinking the man's words. '_A cage, huh?_' Akira thought bitterly. '_If mankind was born with wings, could we escape this prison?_' she thought philosophically, staring at the white ceiling that only up until now looked like it was confining her.

"I..." Sasaki started to say, causing Bushidō to look at him. "I think you're wrong." he stated touching his chin with his left hand, causing the white-haired ghoul to raise an eyebrow. "How so?"

Sasaki frowned in thought, trying to find an answer. He felt something was missing, something important, something _familiar_. Just on the tip of his tongue, a puzzle piece that was lost, waiting to be found to connect the gaps in his mind.

"I..." Sasaki grimaced, he felt something tugging in his mind, something fighting to gain control. "I don't know..."

Bushidō felt pity for the young man, who knew nothing of his past. Such cruel irony between the two of them. A man, whom runs from his past, desperately trying not to remember and another who was forced to forget, unconsciously striving to remember his identity.

Akira, noticing the look Bushidō was giving Haise intervened before he could say anything. "Haise, go see your squad. You need to get their testaments for the upcoming operation."

Sasaki nodded, sending one last look at Bushidō before walking down the hallway and taking a right, out of sight from both Akira and the mop-topped white-haired ghoul.

When he was out of earshot, Bushidō commented; "You can't keep his past from him forever."

Akira had enough pride left to glare at him, however weak it may have been and say; "You don't know that. We kept it from him in the past, we can do it again."

"No, you won't be able to. Not forever. He's just like me, only a matter of time before our pasts catch up with each of us."

Somewhere in the abyss of Bushidō's mind, a monster smiled gleefully. Akira didn't comment, she had a horrible sinking feeling he was right.

"Well, I'll see you around Mado-san." Bushidō said after a moment of silence, and he walked off down the corridor. "_Wait!_" she called out, and he turned around to face her. "You still haven't told how you got ahold of that information."

"We both know I can't tell you that. Client confidentiality, and what not. You know we doctors can give out personal information of our clients."

"_I told you this isn't a game_." Akira said, in a low dangerous voice, her ire provoked. "I know very well, you've already stated as such."

Akira snarled, her eyebrows furrowing in anger. "_Stop it_. You will tell me, I am your superior!" she barked, fed up with Bushidō's attitude, pulling rank.

"Why are you so protective of him?" Bushidō asked dodging the order, referring to Sasaki, and Akira felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped on her head. "E-Excuse me?"

"You're trying to keep him contained, trapped with your boundaries yet to fail to realize that he was never yours to begin with."

"He isn't a _replacement _for what you've lost." Bushidō said, finality in his voice, and a flash of Amon's face crossed Akira's mind and she snapped. "Shut up, you know _nothing._" she seethed, clenching and unclenching her fists. Her eyes alight with scalding fury. "You think you know everything, but you're dead wrong."

"I never claimed to understand everything, but there is one I know _very well_." He tapped his temple with an index finger, pressing down on the messy white hair that was there.

"How people think, how they try to hide their darkest demons from themselves, I know this because I am no different. _We_ may be different Mado-san, but in here-" he said tapping his temple again. "We are the same, we feel the same, we hurt the same. Do you understand?"

'_Ghouls and humans...the same?_' she wondered. No, there was no way that was true. He was trying to trick her, yet another ruse in his web of deception. "No, I don't. Ghouls aren't the same as humans... They just aren't." she said with half-hearted zeal.

"Yes... You would say something like that." His eyes staring, almost sadly at her. After a span of silence that seemed to go on forever, Bushidō spoke.

"Is there anything else you'd like to ask Mado-san?" he questioned formally, clasping his hands together behind his back.

Rattled from the profound argument, Akira took a deep breath; exhaling through her nose and closed her eyes for a moment to gather her thoughts.

"Your name. You said you had no recollection of it, yet you gave one in the meeting back there." she said as glared at him, remembering how he had blatantly disobeyed orders. "Were you lying?"

Bushidō shook his head, his hair lightly shaking from the motion. "I thought I told you, I pride myself on not being a liar. The name I said was an alias. Dr. Isao Kurosawa is what my name is when I am a human psychologist."

Akira realized then, that she had no idea who was standing in front of her. This ghoul shrouded in mystery and speculation, who came and had shaken up the structuralization of Quinx Squad. He had never looked so foreign to her now.

"I...just have one last question." he nodded to her, signaling that he would listen and answer. "A mask... Why don't you wear a mask like the other ghouls?" she asked sincerely, staring into his eyes. The first day they meet, Bushidō had come to the CCG bare-faced, as if he had nothing to hid from them. His eyes seemed to smile at her, like silent humor that only he knew about playing behind his reddish-white orbs. "What do you mean? I'm wearing one as we speak."

XxXxXx

Bushidō caught up with Sasaki, just before the young man was about the get on the train. As they rode together, Sasaki asked Bushidō why he followed him.

"I am also your subordinate Sasaki-senpai, I need to write and give you my testament as well." Sasaki, still slightly embarrassed at the formal title, just avoided eye contact and grumbled an approval. Bushidō's lips curved upwards in a small smile, before he tousled the half-ghoul's hair again; much to the chagrin of Sasaki.

"You're a good leader, you don't need to worry so much." Bushidō said reassuringly. "That's isn't the only issue." Sasaki said, getting used to the fact that the white-haired ghoul seemed to be able to know what he was thinking.

"_I_ have to become stronger. Strong enough to protect everyone." Sasaki said, from his seat on the train, he looked down at his open palms and then he clenched them into fists. '_How naive..._' Bushidō thought, watching Sasaki demeanor turn sour.

Bushidō wouldn't reprimand him, not yet anyways. There was no guarantee he would remember the lecture when he remembers his past. Thinking something as dangerous as 'protecting everyone' would only end in tragedy. It wasn't possible, Bushidō knew that all to well... For now Bushidō would just watch the city fly by from his little spot on the train, thinking about how Ken Kaneki was so close, yet so far away.

XxXxXx

When they finally made it to the Quinx's apartment, the sun was setting in the west and Bushidō wondered where the day went. The walkway traffic was terrible today...

Bushidō was astonished at just how nice their residence was, it was leagues better compared to his own.

"You guys sure have it good when it comes to living, huh?" Bushidō asked, as he followed behind Sasaki up the sidewalk to the door. Even the concrete walkway seemed perfect, not a single crack in any grey slab.

"Since they are considered by the CCG as valuable experiments, Quinx Squad is housed and our salary is paid entirely by the CCG's own funds." Sasaki explained as he opened the unlocked door, apparently none of Quinx Squad thought anyone would break in.

'_Rightfully so.._' Bushidō mused, as he stepped inside. "Must be nice, my apartment is a shit-hole compared to this." Sasaki just chuckled, a bit awkwardly, at his choice of words and took off his shoes on the doormat. Following his example, Bushidō looked around the spacious abode as he walked, now shoeless, through the hallway.

Everything seemed brand-new; various modern pictures hung on the walls, the lights in the hallway were stylish, and there was even two small palm trees sitting in a soil-filled circular black pot.

Hearing talking coming from what he presumed to be the kitchen, both of them headed down the hall and turned left, finding Shirazu, Saiko, and Tooru all sitting at the dinner table eating.

"Hey guys, who cooked the food?" Sasaki asked as he made his way over to them, smiling at the way all their faces lit up when they noticed him.

"Sas-san!" Shirazu said in surprise, while Saiko affectionately called out "Maman!". Tooru smiled at his superior, but from his angle at the table he could see the person behind Sasaki, and his expression became a questioning one.

'_What is _he_ doing here?_' Tooru wondered, his one visible eye looking at Bushidō. As if he knew that Tooru was looking at him, Bushidō's head peeked out behind Sasaki's shoulder to look out at them.

"Oi!, What the hell are _you_ doing here?!" Shirazu hollered, glaring at Bushidō's now exposed head. Looked like Shirazu was angry about what happened. Or maybe the fact that Bushidō was still a ghoul. Either way it didn't deter the one-sided smirk that crept up on the white-haired ghoul's face.

"Whatever do you mean?" Bushidō asked, now standing next to Sasaki.

"Do I need to _spell_ it out for ya?" Shirazu said, pointing his chopsticks in Bushidō's direction. "W-H-A-T T-H-E H-E-L-L A-R- _GAH! _What the hell, Saiko?" Shirazu yelled, glaring accusingly at her for the piece of saucy chicken that was splattered over his dark long-sleeved shirt.

"You're being annoying. I'm trying to eat. Do you _see_ the problem here?" Saiko said, pointing her chopsticks at him. "Yea, I see it. You eat too damn much! That's your third _fucking _helping!"

Saiko's bloodshot eyes narrowed dangerously and her mouth tugged into a thin line, as she glared across the table at her squad leader.

Oh. No. He. _F__ucking_. Didn't.

"Listen here _sharkboy." _Sasaki and Bushidō both snorted at the nickname. "You say one more word about how I eat and I_ swear_ I'll chuck dinner at your head."

"_Yea right_. You'd eat it before you would throw it at- _GAH! WHAT THE FUCK SAIKO!_" he roared, rice and noodles strewn across his hair and face.

"Told you not to, your own fault." she said, shrugging her shoulders, her long dual pigtails shaking slightly with her movements. When Shirazu glared menacingly at Saiko, she shrunk back and she began to feel nervous under his gaze.

"Ahh, Tooru make Squad Leader Shirazu stop!~~" she wailed next to the dark-skinned young man, as she clutched onto his arm. Tooru glanced between both of his squadmates before looking hopelessly at Sasaki, who was walking towards the table, Bushidō in tow.

"You shouldn't harass a woman about their eating habits, Squad Leader." Bushidō chastised, sitting down at the table next to Shirazu. Bushidō smirked at the young man as he glared at him. "Women are very conscious of their weight."

"_Whatever..._" Shirazu said, taking a napkin and wiping off the food from his head. Saiko just stuck her tongue out at him, which ticked him off even more, earning her another menacing glare, to which she snuggled deeper into Tooru's arm.

Sasaki, now sitting at the head of the table, choose this opportune moment to speak up causing everyone in the room to look at him. "I've gotten news from Associate Special Class Washuu concerning the auction..."

Bushidō watched as Quinx Squad tensed at the mention of the operation; it seems they weren't expecting news on such short notice.

After a moment of silence as Sasaki briefly glanced at all of them, his eyes lingering on Tooru for a bit longer than anyone else, he said; "The operation will take place in a little over two weeks... We are going to train every day for it, understand?" His eyes shifting to Saiko and she grumbled and avoided eye contact.

Saiko grudgingly nodded, along with the rest of them save Bushidō, who was looking around for the missing squad member.

"Where is Urie-san?" Bushidō asked, turning his head towards Tooru, who sat across from him.

Shirazu answered, saying; "He called telling us that he had to go to the hospital right away. That was two days ago."

Bushidō furrowed his white eyebrows and tilted his head slightly in thought. The purple-haired boy had seemed fine when they dueled, sure he was angry but that seemed to be the young investigator's default mindset.

"He's supposed to be coming back tomorrow, I hope they fixed his shitty attitude while they're at it." Shirazu said as he grinned toothily at his private insult on his absent squadmate's attitude, his tongue slightly wiggling in the process.

Tooru secretly agreed with Shirazu, but replied anyways; "It's not right to talk about our team members like that, Squad Leader."

"_Pfft, riiight~._ Like you don't feel the same, Tooru." Shirazu said, his eyes narrowing at the dark-skinned investigator, uncharacteristically seeing through Tooru's façade.

Sasaki raised an eyebrow at this, maybe Shirazu was growing as a leader after all...

"...Is the food good?" Bushidō asked offhandedly, breaking the tension brewing between the two teammates. Both of them looked at him bizarrely, as he glanced between the two, waiting for an answer.

Saiko answered; "It's alright.-"

"_Hey!_" Tooru said, vexed. "My cooking isn't _that_ bad!"

"But Maman's is better. When you compare the two, it isn't even a contest." the short, pigtailed investigator said.

"T-That's too harsh Saiko..." Tooru said meekly, as he hung his head in dismay.

"It's actually pretty good." Bushidō complemented, his own bowl now filled with food. Tooru looked up abruptly, and saw that the ghoul was slowly chewing Tooru's cooking, with Shirazu looking at him like he had two heads.

To Bushidō it tasted like rotting pig intestines scrambled with dry moldy wheat, but at least it tasted better than ghoul flesh...

"What the fuck are you _doing_?!" Quinx's squad leader asked brazenly, and Bushidō gave him a questioning look. He glanced at the rest of them and found that all of them, even Sasaki, was staring at him strangely.

"What? I'm just enjoying a home-cooked meal." he said innocently, looking back at Shirazu.

"Yea, but- I mean, you- you know what, _fuck it_. I'm done trying to figure you out, you're bat-shit crazy." Shirazu said, shaking his head and going back to eating his dinner.

"But doesn't it, you know, taste bad?" Tooru asked, picking up the conversation, genuinely curious as to why the ghoul was eating human food.

"Well, if you really must know, it only makes me want to puke..._slightly_." Bushidō said honestly, causing Tooru to hang his head in despair again.

Saiko snorted in laughter at her teammates expense, while Sasaki glared at the ghoul.

"That wasn't necessary." He said, and Bushidō shrugged his shoulders saying; "Sometimes the truth hurts."

_Truth_...that's right. Sasaki needed to tell Tooru the truth about his role in the auction. They all needed to know just how much danger they were in, and Sasaki knew they weren't ready, thats why he needed to train them as much as he could for the next two weeks.

Sasaki sighed, and the spoke up. "You all are going to need to fill out testaments before the night is through." After a tense moment of silence all but Bushidō nodded solemnly, reality slowly sinking in for them.

Sasaki's eyes turned to Tooru and he wondered how exactly he was going to break the news. Noticing this, Bushidō acted quickly by saying; "Alright you two." pointing to Saiko and Shirazu, as he stood up from his chair. "Let's go, give me a tour of this place."

Shirazu and Saiko both looked at Sasaki, clearly not wanting to be tour guides, but he shook his head. "He's part of the squad now, it's the least you could do." As both squad members grumbled under their breaths, Sasaki shot Bushidō a thankful glance to which the white-haired ghoul winked at.

'_He seems to be doing a lot of that, lately._' Sasaki mused.

Bushidō let the two young quinxs lead him out of the kitchen and down the hall, and he heard Sasaki began to speak with Tooru.

"So, what do you two do for fun?" Bushidō asked, trying to strike up a conversation to end the silence that was festering between them.

"None for yer damn business." Shirazu said, not bothering to look back at him.

"Games. Anime. Manga." Saiko responded, tilting her head back to look at him for a moment.

"So you're a neet?" Bushidō asked, and Saiko's gait fumbled at the mention of the word. Shirazu laughed heartily as they turned into the living room.

Three large white couches sat facing a glass table in a semicircle, the polished wood floor was hidden under a multi striped rug that sat under the furniture. Whistling at the decor, Bushidō made his way over to one of the couches and sank into it. Propping his feet on the glass table, the smiling ghoul looked back at them over his shoulder.

"What do ya think yer doing?" Shirazu asked, annoyed with Bushidō's relaxed demeanor.

"Relaxing, it's something I rarely do. Care to join me?" He patted the seat beside him, ignoring the frown on Shirazu's face.

"Like hell I'd-"

"Sure." Saiko said, as she made her way over and sat down next to him. Sinking into the white couch, she tried to put her legs up, but they were too short and couldn't reach the glass table so she used Bushidō's legs as a substitute.

The Quinx Squad Leader shook his head at his squadmate's actions. "The hell is wrong with you people..." he mumbled.

"Oi, quit the tough guy act. Everyone knows you're a big softie." Saiko declared.

"Ha? Who're callin' a softie?" Shirazu asked angrily, glaring at the back of her head.

Turning around to face him, Saiko brought up a finger below her lower eyelid and pulled down while sticking her tongue out, to which Shirazu grounded his teeth together in agitation.

"Ah, come now Squad Leader. I'm sure you have questions for me right?" Bushidō asked, patting the open seat on the couch. Shirazu shifted his gaze away and crossed his arms over his chest, neither agreeing or disagreeing with the ghoul's assessment.

"Just get over here, he won't bite you...hopefully." Saiko said, rolling her eyes at the way Shirazu weakly glared at her. "I mean don't you get a kind of 'big brother' feel from him? Not like Maman, he acts more like a parent, but a reassuring feeling like everything he says is somehow supposed to help you?"

Shirazu stared at Saiko in astonishment. She had hit the nail on the head. As much as he didn't want to admit it Shirazu had been glad when Bushidō complimented him on his characteristics. Even when it was with Urie or Tooru, Bushidō was only trying to show them something about themselves.

Realizing what she had just said, Saiko blushed in embarrassment and apologized to the ghoul next to her.

"I'm flattered you think so highly of me." Bushidō said, smiling down at her.

Shirazu recovered from his shock, and grudgingly made his way over to the two of them. It was true that Bushidō was part of the squad, so he might as well _try_ to get along with the ghoul.

Sitting down as far away as he possibly could from Bushidō, Shirazu mimicked the ghoul by propping his bare feet up on the glass table. Crossing his arms over his chest, he turned towards Bushidō and said after a few moments of silence; "I'm not the best when it comes to figuring things out, hell I had the second worst grades at the academy... So, I really don't know what to think about you. You being here has thrown everyone into a funk, even Sas-san is being different. I want you to tell me, honestly, what exactly yer doing here."

'_Even now his compassion for his squadmates shines through..._' Bushidō mentally noted. A small smile crept onto the ghouls face as he proclaimed; "Don't sell yourself short, your caring towards others is a very admirable."

Shirazu just avoided eye contact, blushing slightly in embarrassment, and grumbled "_Don't change the damn subject._" under his breath. Saiko brought a hand up to her mouth and snickered at the rare sight of an embarrassed Shirazu.

"Well, the answer is very simple, you see..." Bushidō began, but stopped when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Leaning his head back on the back of the couch, he stared upside down at Sasaki, who was leaning against the living room wall watching at them.

"Hello, Sasaki-senpai. Care to join us?" Bushidō asked, as the two other investigators whirled around to see their superior.

Sasaki, unfortunately, shook his head and motioned for the two young quinxs to get up. "Come on you two. You need to start writing." Saiko groaned at the prospect of doing work, but nevertheless rose from her spot and trailed off to her room. Shirazu nodded to Sasaki and made his way out of the living room, but not before making eye contact with Bushidō and a silent message was sent between the two of them.

When both of them had left, Sasaki walked over to one of the adjacent couches and plopped down, he narrowed his eyes at Bushidō's feet on the table and the ghoul had enough decency to apologize and take them down.

"Did you tell Tooru about his role?" Bushidō asked, his reddish-white eyes watching Sasaki's every movement. Tense shoulders, downcast eyes, hunched form. The poor man was stressing himself out.

"Yes, I tried to reassure him that Juuzou would be there, but it still didn't take the look of dread of his face." Sasaki said with a sigh. "I have to make sure that they are all ready for the operation, but I fear that it won't be enough." Sasaki didn't know why he was telling Bushidō this. The words seemed to just come to him and he said them without much thought. Perhaps he just wanted someone to listen to him, perhaps that's what he wanted along: just someone that would _listen_.

After a long stretch of silence Bushidō finally spoke; "And it might not be enough." Sasaki to looked up at him in alarm. "But, wouldn't they say that the time spent with you were happy times? You're someone those kids need, what they deserve. Someone who cares for them, regardless of who they are and what differences they have."

Sasaki nodded, smiling to himself as he recalled memories of him and his squad. Yes, he knew that. He did care for his squad, he wanted _so bad_ for them not to risk their lives, but they were CCG investigators. It was their job, their duty to go and fight against ghouls, and that is where Sasaki thought he had failed them. He felt that he had not done enough to prepare them for the harsh reality that as an investigator you could die any day on the job.

"I know that I have helped them, but I feel like it isn't enough..."

"So try to make it enough, don't doubt yourself. You are going to start training them tomorrow, right? I'll help them get to where they need to be, after all if Quinx Squad is training I should be there was well, no?" Bushidō said, and Sasaki smiled while nodded gratefully to him. Maybe with Bushidō there they would be ready in time...

"Now, I'd like to talk about you, Sasaki-senpai."

The half-ghoul looked at Bushidō curiously. "Me?" he asked, wondering what could this be about. Bushidō nodded once, his orbs burning holes into Sasaki's brain with their intensity.

"Three days ago, on our way to the thirteenth ward, you seemed to be in pain on the train. Do you think you could tell me about that?" the ghoul asked, and Sasaki froze.

'_He noticed?!_' he thought frantically. There was no way he could tell Bushidō about that, if he knew about his ghoul-side there could be no telling what he would do with that information.

"O-Oh, that? I just had a headache, really nothing to worry about." he said dismissively. Bushidō raised an eyebrow, obviously not convinced.

"A headache so bad that you smashed your head into the window?" he asked, and Sasaki's stomach felt like it went through the floor. A deafening silence filled the room as the two stared each other down.

After what felt like hours, Sasaki relented under Bushidō's piercing gaze, his eyes looking through the glass table. "It's something I'd rather not discuss." The half-ghoul reached up a gently touched his chin with his left hand, and turned to the other man; "Don't worry, I'm alright." Sasaki said, his mouth turning up in a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Unfortunately for Sasaki, Bushidō saw right through the lie and the white-haired ghoul narrowed his reddish-white eyes. For a second Sasaki thought he might pursue further but the ghoul just shook his head, displeased with Sasaki's dishonesty.

"When your done lying to yourself, come find me and we'll talk about it." Bushidō told Sasaki, the latter staring wide-eyed, shocked, while the former stood up and started to walk out of the living room.

'_Am I really lying to myself?..._' Sasaki thought, conflicted emotions brewing inside of him. He looked up quickly, noticing that the white-haired ghoul was about to leave.

"W-Wait! Where are you going?" Sasaki managed to call out, amidst his swirling thoughts. Without looking back, Bushidō spoke as he left the room.

"To the roof."

XxXxXx

Ayato Kirishima watched Tokyo under the dark blanket of night, the only light coming from inside the various skyscrapers and buildings strewn across the landscape. He watched the humans, who looked like ants from this distance, scurry under the streetlamps of the world below. His shaggy dark blue hair falling just above his eyes and down the sides of his handsome face. Ayato's black overcoat hid his lean body as he was hunched over the side of the building. His sensitive hearing picking up someone approaching, but he knew who this was. Someone deadly yet familiar.

Eto walked along the roof's pipeline as it led her straight to Aogiri's Black Rabbit, her small bandaged form hidden under a black hooded cloak. It seemed she usually found him like this, up on some no name building watching the world go by. She found it strange that a rabbit would like such high places, but then again Ayato was always a bit strange.

"You sure like high places, Ayato." she called out to him when she was close enough. He turned his head slightly to look at her, his right eye regarding her with an unreadable expression. "I've got a message from Tatara."

"Eto." Ayato said, as both a greeting and as a signal that he was listening.

"He'd like for you to be a bodyguard at the next auction." she said, as she brought both her bandaged hands up and down in a flapping motion, that seemed to be for no other reason than to get under his skin. She always seemed to do that, when she was around.

"What for? I thought we had the whole plan figured out." Ayato questioned. Were they changing things last minute? That seemed very unlike Madam.

"Situation has changed, Madam wants extra insurance at the actual auction." Eto said, looking up at him through the holes in her bandaged face.

"What's the formation?"

"Just your group, the rest is staying put." she said, bringing a finger to tap on her covered nose and tilting her head slightly. "The job pays well."

"Fine, we'll do it." Ayato said, more money wouldn't hurt even if he was going to miss out on the fun.

"Good, don't worry we will kill some for you." Eto said as she waved goodbye to him and began to whistle a tune as she walked away.

'_Poor bastards._' Ayato thought as he made his way to Hinami and Saeki. The CCG wasn't going to know what hit them...

* * *

**A.N) Aogiri and Big Madam have something up their sleeves! What could it be? Was ****Bushidō right? You're going to have to wait and see!**

**Don't forget to review so you can be mentioned in the shoutout section next chapter! **


	10. Sparring with Fear

**A.N) Welcome to the tenth installment of the story. Character development and plot progression in this chapter. I'd like to apologize for the gap in between updates, but since their are characters that we have yet to see their kagune; Big Madam in particular, I don't want to rush into the Auction just yet. **

**Though, through this gap of time I was able to ponder on the direction of the story and I have settled on a more darker route then I had previously thought up. Meaning more death, emotional trauma, torture (yep that too) and all the good stuff I know you secretly want. That being said, this particular route will stretch the story's length out considerably. I'm talking like hundreds of thousands of words. Easily passing 200K+ if I keep up with all the descriptive language and multiple viewpoints. I don't think that it's a problem with anyone, just letting guys know what you are getting into. Also, when I said eventual ToukaxKen, I mean _eventual_. Sorry! **

**Let me just go on a tangent here. OVER THIRTY REVIEWS! My heart soars with gratitude to those who review this story of mine. You guys really motivate me to write. So thank you! Moving on...**

***Review Feedback* **

**Demons Anarchy of Pride: Thanks! Carry on I shall!**

**Scarease: You don't know the half of it!**

**xxxDreamingflowerxxx: Ahaha. Thanks for (:re)following! You are correct on the symbolism, and Sasaki is still in that tug-of-war state with himself. Kaneki will show up e_ventually_. Otaku girl ftw! Thanks again for reviewing! (Did I mention how much I like your reviews? Oh, I did? Well...I still do! :P) **

**A wanderer: I've been found out! Well, partially found out. Sometimes I do, because reading the newest chapter inspires me to crank out these chapters. I'm glad you enjoy ****Bushidō, as well as the story. I'm always hesitant about my Ocs because they really don''t belong in a cannon sense, but this _fanfiction_ for a reason... Just me being overly worried., I guess.**

**Ettore: Ahaha. You shall wait no more! Though I am sorry to say that there is no next button on this page, at least not yet. :P **

**If you could kindly review that would make my life. Thanks.**

* * *

Bushidō easily dodged the dark-skinned fist that was aimed for his face, and brought a knee up into his assailant's stomach. Tooru felt the air leave his lungs as he was launched backwards, landing hard on the wood floor, coughing and sputtering.

The ghoul sidestepped in time to dodge Shirazu's strike from behind, and turning, he brought a hand up to clamp down on the investigator's neck as he lifted him off his feet. Choking; Shirazu let go of his weapon and brought both hands to his neck in an attempt to break free. Bushidō watched as the wooden sword clattered on the ground, then he stared hard at his opponent.

"Don't let go of weapon. _Ever_. Understand?" Bushidō said disapprovingly, narrowing his eyes at his sparring partner's blue face. Shirazu nodded frantically, in hopes he would be released as quick as possible, which he was when the ghoul let go of him causing Shirazu to collapse in a heap at Bushidō's feet, gasping for air.

"Clench your abs." Bushidō ordered as he brought his leg back and Sasaki knew what was coming. He watched from his position, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, while the morning sun's light filtered through the windows of the training room. Sasaki inwardly winced as he saw Bushidō's bare foot connected with his opponent's gut. Shirazu sailed through the air and crashed into the wall, only to slide down onto the wood floor in a quivering mound of pain. No doubt trying to not puke.

Had the upcoming auction not be such a deadly operation, Sasaki would have protested against such harsh training but he realized that all three young quinxs needed this wake-up call; Saiko in particular. Sasaki glanced over at the young girl who was sprawled out on the floor in the farthest corner away from the sparring group. She hadn't even come at Bushidō once. Mentally sighing, the half-ghoul looked back at Bushidō, whom had began speaking.

"Although you have your kagune to fall back on, you'll need to be proficient in basic combat to even think about eluding death." Bushidō told them, his face showing no signs of fatigue whatsoever, and his white hair was slicked back out of the his face. The ghoul was dressed in a pair of black shorts and a black t-shirt courtesy of Sasaki.

"I may be forgiving but the other ghouls won't be." He stated. Then looking over his right shoulder, Bushidō stared at Saiko, who was still laid out on the floor.

"Saiko, you didn't even come at me once." He said, askance about her lack of involvement. In response she lifted her arm and pointed to the ceiling before saying; "I'm dead~~."

Both Sasaki and Bushidō, unknowingly narrowed their eyes in the same expression of annoyance. Her laid back and lazy disposition would only be tolerated for so long...

Bushidō slowly walked over to her corner of the room and knelt down on the balls of his feet next to her. "Hey." he barked and flicked her nose.

"Oww.." she protested, bringing both her hands over her face to ward of any further nose flicks. "This isn't the time to be laying around. You've got to train as well." The ghoul said as he swatted her hands away and tugged on her face.

"Fine, jeez~" she slurred, her voice distorted from her forcefully extended cheek.

Shirazu looked out the window to the complex across the street as he stood up on wobbly legs, his stomach convulsing in pain as he did so, and saw Urie in the upper levels of the building. He wondered why the purple-haired investigator was all alone. Granted Urie wasn't the most sociable person, but he didn't even come by to say he was okay after getting out of the hospital...

The sharp-toothed teenager looked back at the scene in front of him and watching both Saiko and Bushidō. There was an inkling in the back of his mind of something... Something he wanted to ask but forgot...

'_Bushidō...Saiko..._' Shirazu thought, racking his brain in thought. He then saw Bushidō flick her nose again when Saiko complained under her breath after he was done lecturing her and then it hit him.

"Oi! Your finger!" Shirazu shouted, pointing an, ironically, accusing finger in Bushidō's direction. A full five seconds of full silence went by as everyone in the room turned to stare bewilderingly at Shirazu. Bushidō raised an eyebrow at his squad leader's sudden outburst, then he glanced back and forth between Shirazu and his finger that had flicked Saiko's nose.

"...Yes, this is my finger." Bushidō stated slowly, still looking quite puzzled as to why Shirazu was so adamant about his appendage.

Shirazu shook his head swiftly side to side, his light-orange hair swaying in the process. "No no no... Your finger...that thing you did with your finger!" he said trying to get his point across. Due to his poor explanation, the rest of them had no idea what he was talking about and they continued to stare at him in bewilderment.

After a moment, Bushidō asked, tentatively; "...You mean this?" He then moved his hand and flicked Saiko on the nose again without needing to even look back at the unmotivated pig-tailed investigator.

"_Oww_! _Quit it_!" Saiko hollered at him, as she brought up her hands to rub her nose.

Shirazu grinded his teeth together in frustration, his mouth turning into a deep frown and he glowered at the ghoul across the room.

"No you dumbass, the other _other_ thing! Ya'know when you woke Saiko up that one time!" He explained, making a gesture with his index finger, to explain further.

Realization dawned on the rest of them and both Tooru and Sasaki turned to look questioningly at the crouching ghoul.

"Yeah, how did you do that?" Tooru asked, perplexed how Bushidō was able to wake Saiko up that time in the interrogation room.

"Well..." the white-haired droned as he glanced between the three standing investigators. "I think a demonstration is in order, explaining it with words would be rather...difficult."

Bushidō then stood to his full height, and walked back into the center of the room. "Alright, I want both of you to come at me again." he said, gesturing for both squadmates to come at him. "This time I'll only fight with one finger." He stated, and showed them his index finger to further exemplify his point.

"Oi!, Don't look down on us, you bastard!" Shirazu said through gritted teeth, he knew both himself and Tooru were no match for the white-haired ghoul in sparring much less an actual fight, but even so, Shirazu still had his pride as a CCG investigator and as squad leader. He looked across the room at Tooru, who wore an expression that was hesitant yet determined and Shirazu thought that Tooru must be thinking something similar.

"Lets kick his ass, eh Tooru?" Shirazu said with a somewhat pained lopsided grin. Tooru made eye contact with him and after a moment of hesitation, nodded; silently grateful for the boost of confidence however small it might have been.

Sasaki smiled a small smile. He was proud of Shirazu, the young investigator continued to grow as a leader little by little. He watched from his spot leaning on the wall as Shirazu and Tooru got into their respective battle stances. He saw Bushidō swiftly kick Shirazu's weapon back to over to him, and Shirazu fumbled awkwardly to catch the speeding object before it collided with him.

Sasaki inwardly sighed, he still had a long way to go...

After Shirazu had a firm grip on his weapon, he stared hard at his opponent before he started to circle around him, trying to find an opening. Following his squad leader's example Tooru also began to circle Bushidō in sync with Shirazu, like wolves circling their prey ready to pounce at the slightest inclination of weakness. All the while the white-haired ghoul was unmoving from his spot on the wooden floor.

Then Sasaki felt it. Like a heavy gust of imaginary wind, Bushidō's presence suddenly made the atmosphere in the room thicken and swirl and Sasaki's senses heightened. The sunlight that came through the windows fell upon Bushidō's frame and casted a long dark shadow behind him. Although Bushidō's face was turned away from Sasaki, he could still feel an intense aura that the ghoul's stature was giving off, almost as if he was going to spring into combat at any second and rip them asunder.

This change went unnoticed by both young investigators, although they did stop their circling and for a singular second no one in the room moved nor breathed, like the calm before the storm. Sasaki wanted to shout out for them to stop, but he restrained himself from doing so. He had to put his trust in Bushidō, he only hoped the ghoul was doing the right thing.

Shirazu felt something in the back of his mind telling him to run, to flee, to do anything other than attack the ghoul in front of him but he dashed the voice's concerns, instead gripping his weapon until his knuckles were white, Shirazu gritted his teeth in determination. He would show Sas-san and the rest of them that he was worthy of being the leader of Quinx squad. He wouldn't belittle the trust that they placed in him.

With a shout of resolve, Shirazu raised his weapon and took a step forward to charge his opponent...or he would have if not for startling grotesque image of a finger going through his eye socket and into his brain. Shirazu yelped in shock, his mind almost believing that it had actually happened and he backpedaled all the way up against the wall.

"_What the fuck was that?..._" Shirazu thought between labored gasps, It was almost as if he had seen his own death... He wasn't even aware that he was gripping his wooden weapon so hard that it fractured in his grasp.

Tooru, who was cloaked in Bushidō's shadow could not see what had happened, but he heard Shirazu yell and thought it was to draw attention to Shirazu himself, so Tooru took the opportunity to rush forward and aim a punch towards the ghoul's exposed side. Tooru made it one step before he saw a blur of movement and a vision of a finger going into his neck and ripping out his carotid artery, blood gushing out like a geyser.

Tooru let out a gasp of shock and immediately brought up a trembling dark-skinned hand to touch his neck to feel the wound but there was nothing. No puncture. No blood. "_...And yet, it felt so real..._" He thought. Tooru was so shocked about what he had seen that he didn't even register that his legs were shaking uncontrollably.

"_What's wrong?_" Bushidō said, cocking his head slightly to the side. "You both had such confidence a moment ago." the ghoul stated, almost menacingly as he started down at Tooru, his reddish-white eyes burning holes through Tooru's skull and cooking his brain into a pile of charred mush. The young investigator swallowed the fear that was rising in his throat, and looked down at the finger that was pointed directly at his neck.

'_If I had moved one step closer..._' Tooru thought slowly, his mind unable to work properly, because it was muddled by fear. But even through the fear, he knew this was different from all the battles and training he had undergone, this time he had actually been inches away from _death_.

"_You bastard!_" Shirazu yelled, throwing his now useless weapon at Bushidō. The ghoul easily caught the broken wooden sword as he turned to look at the enraged squad leader. "You almost fucking _killed_ us!"

"Hardly. I don't see any wounds on you." Bushidō said nonchalantly, his previous serious demeanor seemingly evaporated. "Besides, you took the correct course of action. Well done."

"That's not- I mean you- You know what? _Fuck it!_ I'm done!" Shirazu angrily spat, and he stormed out of the room, glowering all the way. Tooru also excused himself quietly, and walked out on shaky legs. Bushidō casted a glance over to the unusually quiet Sasaki, and found the squad mentor narrowing his eyes at him.

"What? I only did what they asked."

"The last thing they need right now is to experience fear." Sasaki told him, and he watched out of the corner of his eye as Saiko scuttled out of the room. He mentally sighed, the first day and they had gotten seemingly nowhere.

"On the contrary, I believe fear is one of the most important emotions for someone to master."

"On the first day of training?" Sasaki questioned, slightly gritting his teeth in annoyance. "Look how well it turned out."

"They'll be fine, you underestimate your squad Sasaki-senpai, besides we have two weeks left." Sasaki opened his mouth to protest Bushidō's dismissive manner, but Bushidō cut him off. "Now shall we test how good Quinx Squad's superior really is?"

Sasaki closed his mouth into a hard line, he knew Bushidō was goading him into a fight, and even though he knew this; Sasaki still accepted by pushing off the wall with his back and walking out into the middle of the room. He hated the feeling off playing into the hands of this ghoul, but it was high time that Sasaki asserted himself as Quinx Squad's mentor and superior.

Bushidō backed away as Sasaki approached, and they both got into their respective battle stances. Well Sasaki did, Bushidō just stood across from the half-ghoul not even bothering to put up a guard.

While some might take it as a provocation and brazenly attack, Sasaki kept a level head and quickly assessed his opponent. The white-haired ghoul seemed too relaxed, even for a sparring match and his reddish-white eyes bore into Sasaki's own, taunting him to make the first move.

'_He wants me to strike first which means...!_' Sasaki thought, as he dug his heels into the floor and took off in a burst of speed. He closed the gap in an instant and fired of a flurry of tight punches, driving a dodging Bushidō back. '_He must be good at counterattacks, so I have to make sure he doesn't get that chance!_'

Not letting up in the slightest, Sasaki kept the pressure on with a series of low kicks coupled with body blows aimed at the internal organs. Moving his body fluidly while utilizing his limbs in various different combinations, Sasaki was able to keep on the offensive constantly. There was some strikes that Bushidō had to block, but the majority he ducked and weaved out of the way, Sasaki's blows just millimeters away from making contact. They moved in a sort of intricate dance, neither of them stopping as they dashed and darted around the room, their shadows clashing against one another under the rays of sunlight.

Several minutes passed as they continued, beads of sweat traveling down both their faces and necks only to be soaked up in seams of their shirts. Then after what felt like hours Sasaki, feinting a high kick, managed to land a hard punch into Bushidō's side, hitting his liver in the process. He heard a grunt, and believing that he had cornered him, spun and brought his leg up to deliver a quick, but powerful roundhouse kick. He was mildly surprised when his foot actually connected, and Sasaki quickly recovered into his stance as he heard the sound of Bushidō hitting the ground.

He found Bushidō sprawled out on the wooden floor, though he looked to be in relatively good shape. He heard an audible "Whoa..." from behind him and found all three of his subordinates in the doorway, with varying degrees of shock on their faces. Shirazu's jaw was hanging wide open, obviously not believing what he was seeing. Saiko had the exact same expression, though the latter comically rubbed her eyes with her fists and looked again just to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.

"H-How long where you three watching for?" Sasaki asked, astonished that he hadn't even noticed them.

"They showed up around halfway through, though I'm afraid Squad Leader Shirazu-san might have gone into shock, he hasn't moved a muscle in the last couple of minutes." Bushidō said from his now standing position. Sasaki looked back, and saw the ghoul was rubbing his jaw where his kick had landed, but other than that seemed to have taken zero damage.

'_Did he just...intentionally lose to make me look better in front of_ _them?_' Sasaki wondered, but Bushidō spoke up before he could think about it any further; "Your hand-to-hand combat skills are extremely impressive, you didn't give me any chance to counterattack at all." Bushidō was genuinely impressed, if Kaneki had this level of combat prowess without even using his kagune...then he was truly a force to be reckoned with.

"Thanks.." Sasaki said, although he wasn't sure if the white-haired ghoul was mocking him or not.

"That...was...AWESOME!" Saiko yelled in awe, shocking Shirazu out of his stupor as he fliched at her increase in volume. "You were like this..and then you did that...and you finished with a _HI-YAAH!" _Saiko said, as she tried to replicate Sasaki's moves and failing miserably. She looked more like a flailing fish than an experienced martial artist, and Shirazu deadpanned at her before grumbling under his breath at her idiocy.

Sasaki, who inwardly smiled at her enthusiasm, felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned his head back to see the taller ghoul nod his head towards the doorway before winking and walking away to lean against the wall in a similar fashion that Sasaki had done.

Understanding the silent gesture, Sasaki called out to his squad; "Alright you guys, lets start up again. This time I'll be your opponent." He watched them as they all shot a wary glance over at the ghoul, whom met their gaze with a raised eyebrow. Sasaki cleared his throat, garnering his subordinate's attention again.

"And this time Saiko...if you don't come at me, I'll come at you understand?"

The pig-tailed neet mumbled an incoherent response as she avoided eye contact, but nevertheless nodded after a few seconds.

As Bushidō watched the sparring match between the four investigators with waning interest, he mind began to wander, as it always did when the present became dull. His reddish-white eyes followed the form of Ken Kaneki as he fought all three of his underlings at the same time, and Bushidō wondered how he exactly was going to go about having him remember his past.

As much as he wanted to tell the one-eyed ghoul about his past self, it wasn't that simple.

'_Nothing is _ever_ that_ _simple._' Bushidō mused, his expression turning stony.

He couldn't tell him before the auction, the CCG's success hinged substantially on him and his team being present. Bushidō knew there would be deep psychological stress when Kaneki recalls his memories.

'_...And_ i_t will make him extremely unpredictable and_ very_ dangerous._' Bushidō thought, as he saw the grey-haired half ghoul deliver a spinning mid-air heel kick to Shirazu's face, sending the orange-haired nineteen year old sprawling on to the floor.

Bushidō also couldn't shake the subtle sense of urgency, like something was creeping up on him for an unviewable angle, wanting to get him in its clutches.

'_This feeling... It's almost as if...as if I'm on borrowed time._'

[One Week Later: One Week Before the Auction]

Sasaki sat in one of the two leather chairs that where positioned towards Akira Mado's polished oak desk. He watched with worried eyes as Akira furiously shuffled through the mess of papers on her desk; various folders and documents were sprawled haphazardly across the desk. She looked high-strung, and Sasaki inwardly cringed when he saw her eyebrows furrow and her hands tighten around the papers in her grasp.

"..Mado-san-"

"_I told you not to call_\- ...Oh. Hello, Sasaki... My apologies, I thought you were someone else for a moment..." Akira said as she looked at her partner with tired eyes.

"A-Are you alright? You seem...out of it." Sasaki asked, concern evident in his voice. Akira gently placed down the now-crumpled papers then rubbed her brow. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she answered; "Yes, I'm alright... It's just the upcoming operation is going to be a problem with _that person_ accompanying the CCG."

Sasaki saw the disdain in her expression and in her words, with the out right refusal to utter his name. He wondered what the white-haired ghoul had done. It couldn't have been anything recent since the past week Bushidō had been training with Quinx squad.

"How is your squad doing?" Akira asked, hoping to drive the conversation into a friendlier direction. "They are doing better, especially combat wise." And they were. Saiko had started to take the training seriously. (As serious as she _could_ get anyways) Tooru had become a bit more daring and fearless, with him trying new and unfamiliar techniques and strategies. Shirazu had improved the most though, becoming more aware of his opponents and even managing to trade a few blows with both teacher and mentor. Although his hot-headed nature was usually his downfall.

"Both me and Bushidō have been sparring with them everyday." Sasaki said, he noticed that her expression sour at the mention of the ghoul's name. Akira wanted to let her head fall onto her desk in exasperation.

'_It seems whatever I do, it always comes back to _him_._' She thought.

Over the past week, Akira had done quite a lot of thinking, as well as research. She did a full background check on Bushidō's human alias, Isao Kurosawa. No next of kin, and no birth records. The Japanese government had very little information, but it turns out that he had won several awards for academic excellence, being at the top of his class and graduating at one of the best universities in Japan: Kamii. It was very frustrating for her that such a dangerous ghoul who had been active in the community for over a decade, and it made her think of all the other ghouls in hiding.

But for Akira, the most troubling thing for her was the ghoul himself. He was able to finagle his way into the infrastructure of the CCG, not only that but he was able to do it with such _ease_. A testament to his intelligence, and she _hated_ it. The felling of being manipulated, strung along on the whim of some _ghoul_...and yet for some reason she couldn't find it in herself to _actually_ hate him. Out of all the ghouls she had met in her life, with the exception of Sasaki and his group, Akira had never seen such human-like qualities... Although that didn't stop Akira from being distrustful and wary, after all she still really_ really _disliked him.

Then there was the argument between them one week ago, where he had told her his philosophy on the world and corrected her own interpretation on loss. She had been slowly digesting his words, but she couldn't come up with a counter argument..._yet._

For the sake of her declining mood, Akira decided to ask Sasaki the question she had him come out here in the first place for.

"Has..._Bushidō_-" She said the name with venom; "said or asked you anything strange?"

Sasaki thought back to the conversation he and the white-haired ghoul had...

_"When you're done lying to yourself, come find me and we'll talk about it._"

His left hand twitched, wanting to touch his chin as he said. "...No. Nothing out of the ordinary..."

Akira narrowed her eyes at him. "There is nothing _ordinary _about him..." In response, Sasaki just chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck with his left hand to calm the impulse to touch his chin. "I guess you're right about that. He is kind of odd."

Realizing she wasn't going to get a straight answer Akira just sighed. This whole mess was just getting worse and worse. If what Bushidō said was true than Sasaki was just a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.

An uncertain time limit, another unknown to Akira, but this one she didn't hate. She _feared_ it.

XxXxX

"What do you mean you can't cook?!"

"It means just that. I. Can't. Cook." Bushidō said, his face expressionless as he popped his head out from behind the opened fridge door to look over at Shirazu. Saiko then complained that they were the only three people in the house, and apparently none of them could cook a single meal.

"But aren't you, ya know... _old_? You should know how to do these things." Shirazu argued, and Saiko chortled at the insult from her place at the dinner table.

"Quite rude aren't you?" Bushidō quipped, from his crouched position as he looked in the lower drawers of the fridge. "I'm more surprised you let your superior cook, does Sasaki wipe your ass too?"

"_Hey! That's-_" Shirazu angrily yelled, but was interrupted by a fit of giggles that bubbled from Saiko and she almost fell of her chair in her laughter.

"Oi! You're supposed to be on _my side_ damn it!" Shirazu yelled, as he turned to face Saiko.

The doorbell ringing dashed all would-be conversation, and Bushidō stood up from his crouched position. Shutting the fridge door, he converged with the two quinxs in the hallway, and Saiko said that she thought it might be Shirazu's girl, which the one-eyed ghoul retorted with some colorful curses.

Shirazu walked up to the peephole and looked through it to find Hanbee Abara, dressed rather fashionably, waiting patiently for someone to open the door. Shirazu furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

'_Who is this guy again?_' He thought. He knew that the tall man was part of Suzuya's squad, but he couldn't place the name...

"Are you going to open the door?"

Shirazu glared back at Saiko before opening the stylish door to greet Hanbee. "Umm...you're Suzuya's..." he said, making it obvious to everyone that he forgot Hanbee's name.

"Yes, his right hand. I'm Rank Two investigator Hanbee Abara." Hanbee said, formally introducing himself.

As Hanbee stepped inside and greeted them, Bushidō watched with a raised eyebrow. He wondered what the slender investigator was doing here of all places. It was a perfectly good afternoon, surely he had better things to do...

"If you're here for Sas-san, he's in a meeting..." Shirazu told him, and Hanbee held up a hand; "Ah, no. Though if you would like..."

Hanbee stopped mid-sentence when he recognized the white-haired man and his mouth turned into the tiniest of frowns.

"Something wrong Hanbee-san?" Bushidō asked pleasantly, knowing full well that the Rank Two investigator was suspicious of him. Hanbee glanced over the man's figure; slicked back white hair, borderline-smug grin, and a crisp black suit. '..._Suit?_' Hanbee thought, confused. He found it odd that Bushidō was wearing a_ suit_ in the middle of the day for seemingly no reason.

"No, not quite. Though I am wondering why you are wearing a suit. In the middle of the day. Around the house."

Both Saiko and Shirazu gave each other a quick look, they too had asked about the suit to which the ghoul had replied; "Force of habit."

"Oh, this?" Bushidō asked, his white hair swaying as he looked down at and gestured to his attire as if seeing it for the first time. "Well, It's a bit of a habit of mine. Does it bother you?"

"No, but...nevermind." Hanbee said, shaking his head and dropping the subject. He let himself get sidetracked because of his skepticism...although there was a foolproof way to confirm or bust his suspicions...

"If I may be so bold, Hanbee-san." Bushidō started, grasping the long black-haired man's attention. "May I ask what you are doing here? You seem to be overdressed to simply come for a visit."

"Well, you may be right but I came here today to ask the Quinx squad out for lunch. Would you all like to go out to eat?" He asked and looked at each of the younger investigators, who nodded eagerly. Or in Saiko's case, nodding her head vigorously as tears of gratitude welled up in her eyes.

Hanbee looked away from the almost crying nineteen year-old, to stare hard at Bushidō. The white-haired man only smiled and nodded, saying; "An investigator's luncheon? Sounds great."

Both Hanbee and Bushidō had a staredown that lasted a few moments, while Shirazu and Saiko looked between the two. Hanbee nodded, seemingly complacent with Bushidō's answer.

'_We'll find out soon enough what you really are..._' Hanbee thought as he placed his hat back on. Turning around, his scarf swaying with the motion, Hanbee lead Quinx Squad out into the busy sunlit Tokyo streets...

* * *

**A.N) Whew, this chapter was a pain in the ass to write. More foreshadowing this chapter and more character growth in the Quinxs. Akira gets some love as well this chapter. **

**Also, I don't know if you haven't noticed but Sharkbro is my favorite out of the bunch so I like to give him a little extra development. **

**Spar between Sasaki and ****Bushidō! Hope you liked that. (You asked me about it. Yea, I'm talking to you! You know who you are.) Hanbee getting mad suspicious about Bushidō. I wonder how he will handle eating human food at a restaurant hmmm? **

**Make sure to review to have your name mentioned in the shoutout section of the next chapter!**

**P.S. This is the tenth chapter. The tenth tarot card is the Wheel of Fortune, which can mean speed or movement. This is the farthest the plot as moved yet! Man, I feel like SUI Ishida! **


	11. The Hierophant and The Magician

**A/N: What? It's been about three months already?! Shit, it only feels like only two weeks have gone by... Hello dear readers and welcome to the eleventh installment. I apologize profusely for the late update, but life happens and things must be attended to! Not to mention I got writer's block for a straight month. It's something I'm not proud of but whatever, all water under the bridge! **

***Review Feedback* **

**Demons Anarchy of Pride: Yes, yes I may have gotten ahead of myself a bit, three months of writer's block and such can really put things into perspective. Amon is alive and kicking! So hyped for more of him in the coming chapters. **

**purpleswans: Thanks for the encouraging words! I'm glad you understand my reasoning! **

**togetherweloki'd: Yes, i did it! (just for you too ;P). Yes, pineapple FTW indeed and thanks for the kind words! **

**desropter: I'm looking forward to writing it! **

**xxxDreamingflowerxxx: Always glad to hear you enjoy all parts of my chapters! (Amazing review btw!)**

**Ettore: Hanbee does look a bit female-ish doesn't he?**

**Ryujomaru15: Continue it I shall! And thanks for reviewing!**

**BriEva: Oh god where do I even start?! Firstly, I'd like to thank you again for leaving such a long and detailed review. Secondly, your main issue with my OC should be cleared up in the next ten to twelve chapters. (maybe more, maybe less), and thirdly while I wanted to make similarities between Kaneki and Bushidō, I don't think that I made him to Kaneki-like, although that maybe just the author in me talking since I know where the story will go. At any rate, thank you so much for such an awesome review! **

**Delta Marauder: Touken fluff shall be incoming. When you ask? Well, you'll just have to wait and see! **

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All four ghoul investigators sat around a simple wooden table in the corner of the busy restaurant. Their bowls of food had been recently delivered, but Saiko was already inhaling her third helping; much to the chagrin of Shirazu, who chastised her for eating so fast. Even the other nearby customers were starting to stare in bewilderment as to how such a short girl could eat so much.

The restaurant was of modern design; sleek lighting fixtures hung from metal beams running along the open ceiling that showed the establishment's air ducts and pipelines. Against the wall near their table sat a polished dark wooden display case that held various small plants, and on the adjacent wall hung a watercolor painting. Bright midday sunshine shone through the glass windows, casting light on some of the tables and the human customers that sat there. Bushidō watched them for a moment, taking in the relaxing and friendly atmosphere.

'_How oblivious they are. They know nothing of the danger this world holds..._' Bushidō thought as he glanced at a young couple sharing food with each other; smiling at each other lovingly. He somewhat envied them; a knot coiling in his chest that he couldn't quite get rid off.

Hanbee made small talk with the young qunixs, mostly about how their training was coming along, all while watching the white-haired man seated across from him out of the corner of his eye. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but Hanbee knew that he was anything _but_ ordinary...

Bushidō, who had just finished his first helping of food which tasted like rotting garbage that was shredded and mangled together, set down his chopsticks next to his bowl. His stomach churned violently, and Bushidō had to steal his nerves just to keep a straight face just in case he was being watched by a certain ghoul investigator.

'_Speaking of being watched..._' The ghoul thought. He could feel Hanbee's stare upon him and Bushidō flicked his eyes towards the man, who averted his eyes just a tad too late.

"Something you'd like to ask me, Hanbee-san?" Bushidō asked politely, breaking the silence that had been hanging over the table for the past couple of minutes. His sudden question caused Shirazu and Saiko to look at him in mild surprise. It was the first time he had spoken since they entered the restaurant. Both of them quickly got over their shock and turned their heads to the long black-haired investigator, waiting for him to answer.

The investigator in question mentally cursed at being caught and narrowed his eyes ever so slightly at Bushidō; the white-haired man's expression practically oozing smugness.

"...In fact, yes. There is something I'd like to ask." The slender man said after a moment, regaining his composure as he sat up a little straighter in his chair.

"Alright, ask away. I'll try to sate your curiosity to the best of my ability." The ghoul said before glancing towards the quinxs for a moment. They looked at him worryingly, Saiko more so than Shirazu, but Bushidō winked at them hoping it would calm their nerves. He was almost certain he could talk his way out of this...

"I'd like to know why the Laboratory Division chose another for the Quinx Surgery." Hanbee began, the ghoul investigator's usual troubled expression gone as he stared hard at Bushidō, looking for any signs of discomfort or nervousness. To the ghoul's credit, he didn't even blink; he just stared back waiting for Hanbee to continue.

"...It seems rather...random that they would have another quinx when there are already five others."

'..._Oh, that's right. He thinks I am a quinx. This...__complicates_ _things._' Bushidō mused, his eyes shifting back to the two actual quinxs for a split second.

Hanbee, in fact, did not believe that he was a quinx but rather was trying to catch any slip-up Bushidō would make. The question covered his true suspicions while simultaneously fooling everyone at the table. After all, it seemed like a perfectly normal question given the circumstances.

"Well..." Bushidō said slowly, intentionally drawing out the word for a few moments to formulate an answer. "It's classified, I can't talk about the circumstances." He told Hanbee, the slender investigator's expression turning stony and Hanbee furrowed his thin eyebrows at the vague explanation.

Bushidō wasn't certain whether or not his assimilation into the folds of the CCG was kept classified, but he assumed so. Regardless, He couldn't go around telling CCG secrets, even if the ones questioning were part of the institution itself.

"That's...rather convenient to say. How do I know you're not lying?" Hanbee questioned.

Bushidō's mouth quirked upwards ever so slightly, for he knew he had already won.

"Hanbee-san..." The ghoul began, leaning forward and interlacing his fingers together. Shirazu caught sight of the tiny smirk, and immediately recognized that look on the white-haired man's face...

'_Here we go..._'Shirazu thought and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding while Saiko was oblivious to everything as she was shoving her fourth helping of food into her mouth. It seemed all the reassurance she needed was one look at Bushidō's face.

Bushidō's sudden intense gaze and posture threw Hanbee off, and the white-haired ghoul silently noted the other man's slight discomfort; "I pride myself on being many things Hanbee-san..."

The slender ghoul investigator _almost_ raised an eyebrow at the odd statement but restrained himself from showing any hints of reaction as he waited for the man to continue.

_"_And being a liar is not is one of them." Hanbee was starting to feel more and more uneasy, the white-haired man's intense stare coupled with his words were beginning to unnerve the Rank Two Investigator.

"Now tell me," Bushidō said, leaning back in his chair and crossing a leg over his thigh seemingly calm and relaxed even in a tense argument. "If I am right, _which I am_, then you doubting my answer is _by extension_ doubting the superiors you work for, correct?" The question stunned everyone at the table and even Saiko looked up from her food in surprise, a piece of peppered lettuce dangling from the corner of her mouth. After watching Hanbee's stunned face for a few moments, Bushidō continued unmoving from his relaxed position. "Having such distrust in your own organization is a _very_ bad habit Hanbee-san."

Hanbee was floored, his mind almost unable to comprehend what he had heard. Was this man insinuating that he didn't trust the CCG, that he didn't trust his _captain_? Why the very thought was absolutely ludicrous and yet...if he was telling the truth then what right did he have to question the higher-up's decisions?

Hanbee credited himself to be particularly observant but he also knew that he wasn't daring and lacked the strong backbone of his captain, and so he was torn in his decision between his suspicious hunch and the likelihood that headquarters had actually wanted to keep this man's circumstances a secret. Both where possibilities and he couldn't distinguish which one was the most likely.

The tension at the table was so thick Saiko thought she could cut it with her chopsticks. She was almost about to try when their dark-haired waitress interrupted the two men's staredown.

"Is there anything else I can get you all?" she asked pleasantly, seemingly unaware of the tense atmosphere. Bushidō, seeing an opportunity to change the mood, cocked his head towards the pretty young woman and gave her his most charming smile. "Yes, I believe these two..." The ghoul gestured to the two quinxs without breaking eye-contact; "would like another bowl and I think my friend here would like some oolong tea. He's been terribly stressed lately." The waitress nodded her head vigorously, enthralled by the mysterious handsome man.

"But-" Hanbee started to protest, finding is voice after a moment. "Now, now." Bushidō interrupted, holding a hand up to stop Hanbee from further speaking. "It's quite alright Hanbee-san. No need to worry."

Before Hanbee could protest again, the young waitress spoke up, stumbling over her words as she nervously addressed Bushidō. "I-Is there a-anything I can get you, sir?"

"_Me? _No, I am quite alright my dear. Thank you for asking, your service thus far has been..._very_ satisfying." Bushidō said, winking at the waitress for good measure. The poor waitress tried her hardest not to blush and failed miserably. With her face as red as a tomato, she nodded quickly and immediately turned around and practically ran back to the kitchen, almost tripping on the leg of a table as she did so.

The rest of the table's occupants were silent as Bushidō watched the waitress go. When she had gone behind the kitchen doors, Bushidō finally returned his attention back to the rest of them, only to find all of them staring at him. Hanbee was looking at him a bit bizarrely, but said nothing when Bushidō made eye-contact. The white-haired ghoul turned to look over at Saiko, the short pudgy nineteen-year-old held his gaze with her bloodshot eyes for a moment before giving him a thumbs up of what he assumed was approval and going back to finishing her bowl of food. Bushidō raised an eyebrow at her actions, but didn't question it.

He then turned his head to look at Shirazu, who was next to him, and found the young man with his lips pursed and eyebrows slightly furrowed. It was almost as if he was glaring at him.

"What?" Bushidō asked, confused by Shirazu's expression. "What was _that?_" Shirazu asked, obviously irked about something as he gestured to where the waitress had been standing.

"What was _what_ about?" The ghoul asked, feigning ignorance. "Oh my fuc-" Shirazu started to groan, as he brought a hand over his forehead. Fortunately, Saiko interrupted the would-be cursing by saying; "He's just jealous that you swooned the waitress." Although her words came out garbled because she had a mouth full of food, Shirazu understood for he slapped his hand down on the table, rattling the bowls and almost tipping drinks. He sneered at his teammate across the table; "Shut yer trap!" Then after a moment's contemplation he realized his mistake. "...I mean, uh, like hell I am!"

Saiko almost choked on her food, clearly amused by Shirazu's slip up and Bushidō chuckled lightly while the orange-haired teenager just grumbled under his breath and turned his head away from all of them, finding the wall immensely more enjoyable than being teased by this squad.

" You know..." Bushidō said to Shirazu after a few silent moments, slightly leaning towards his squad leader. "I can put in a good word for you. I'm sure-"

"No! No! No! Don't even think about it!" Shirazu hollered, glaring as he swiftly turned his head back towards the ghoul sitting next to him. Bushidō continued his teasing, unperturbed by the young man's anger; "Are you positive? I mean I _think_ you might be her type..."

Hanbee watched Quinx Squad's drama unfold in slight amusement, but the earlier conversation did not escape his mind's grasp. The ghoul investigator was certain that this man had more depth than he let on, but seeing him interact with the two young quinxs Hanbee could see that the white-haired man's influence was a positive one. So instead of further voicing his suspicions, Hanbee was content to drop the matter entirely, momentarily anyways. Although he would keep a stern vigil from now on...

The rest of the meal went by rather swiftly with both Shirazu and Saiko piling up empty bowls. Hanbee was quite impressed at the amount that they ate and wondered if their large appetite was caused by being quinxs, but if that was the case...

Hanbee glanced at the empty bowl and seat that the white-haired man had occupied. He had excused himself a few minutes ago to use the restroom, and Hanbee wondered why the man didn't eat more. Surely...

The Rank Two Investigator then heard Saiko hush something that he didn't quite catch and Hanbee was jolted out of his musings. He turned towards the two younger ghoul investigators and when they noticed they had drawn his attention both of them shrunk back from his stare as if they were afraid and Hanbbe raised an eyebrow at their reaction.

"Is something wrong?"

Shirazu scratched his cheek as his eyes slid from Hanbee to his teammate across the table. Saiko brought both her hands up as if to say 'Don't look at me'.

Of course, she wasn't going to help him what did he expect.

"Well, ya see..." Shirazu started, his eyes looking anywhere but at Hanbee. "I had to use up my savings for a new motorcycle and Saiko spends all her money on games..." Hanbee turned to look at the pig-tailed neet next to him and the short girl sunk into her chair and grumbled under her breath; "It wasn't _all_ on games..."

"What I'm trying to say is..." Shirazu said, then after a moment of silence he quickly bowed his head, almost smacking it into the table. "We don't have any money! So can you please pay for our meal?"

Hanbee blinked in surprise, almost not catching what the young man said as the words tumbled out too swiftly to be coherent and after a moment to digest the words, the corners of Hanbee's mouth turned upwards into a small smile.

"Of course."

"Thank you very much!" Both qunixs said bowing their heads, grateful for the generosity shown to them. Seeing their bowed forms sparked an idea in Hanbee's mind and the older ghoul investigator thought that his idea would be an experience for the both of them.

"Do you two...have a little more time after this?"

By the tone in Hanbee's voice Shirazu knew whatever the man's sudden idea was, it sounded important. The orange-haired quinx was about to reply when an approaching voice interrupted him.

"Time for what exactly?" Bushidō asked; the white-haired ghoul overhearing Hanbee's question as he walked up to the head of the table. Crossing his arms over his chest, the ghoul cocked his head down at Hanbee awaiting an answer.

Hanbee took notice of the man's complexion; He seemed...paler, it was negligible change in color but it was there. Hanbee doubted anyone else noticed and he himself most likely wouldn't have seen it either if the man was not as near as he was.

Juuzou Suzuya's self-proclaimed right hand was snapped out of his scrutinization when Bushidō raised an eyebrow at him. Realizing that he had been staring for more than a few seconds, Hanbee quickly responded; "I was going to take them to... someone who might teach them something."

'_Teach us...something?_' Saiko and Shirazu thought simultaneously, equally confused at to what Hanbee was referring to.

The answer seemed to please the white-haired ghoul or if anything he seemed to accept it, nodding his head slightly. "May I also see this person? That is, of course, if I am not intruding on anything."

"I..." Hanbee began to say but stopped himself. What harm could come of him tagging along? If Hanbee denied him then the other two would definitely question his decision. And so, he relented.

"...No, you're free to come along if you wish."

XxXxXx

Yukinori Shinohara lay, comatose, in his hospital bed still living with the help of various state-of-the-art medical equipment. The man's former buzzed black hair had grown out and was now strewn messily across his forehead, while his nose and mouth were covered by a breathing mask. The unconscious man did not hear the smooth wooden door open or the voice of Hanbee Abara as the slender ghoul investigator entered.

"Hello, Special Class Investigator Shinohara." A hat and scarf adorned Hanbee greeted formally, walking into the room followed by Shirazu and Saiko. The man didn't respond; not a twitch of an eyelid nor a groan of discomfort, in fact, the only sign that he was even alive was the slow and steady rise and fall of his chest.

'_This man is already..._' Bushidō thought as he stood, propped against the door's framework. With solemn reddish-white eyes, Bushidō took in the sight of the bedridden man noticing the empty space where Shinohara's right leg should have been.

"Special class you say... So he's a ghoul investigator?" Shirazu asked, not sure what to be feeling as he stared at the incapacitated man. '_What am I supposed to learn from him?_'

"Yes, 'The Indomitable Shinohara'. Quite a famous one as he was a mentor to many investigators, but he was heavily injured in the 20th Ward Owl Suppression Battle..."

That caught Bushidō's attention, the ghoul tensing slightly as his eyes flicked from Shinohara to the back of Hanbee's head.

"Since then, for over two years, he's been in this condition. If he can't recover from this state... His last partner will have been Boss Suzuya..."

'_So this man must have mentored Suzuya-san... But would Yoshimura really do something like this?_' Bushidō thought skeptically. Although if it was a battle to the death then he also knew the older ghoul would have not held back at all.

The white-haired ghoul turned his attention outwards when he heard Hanbee began to speak again. "The smoldering feelings in the boss' chest are something that someone one like me cannot understand, but..." Hanbee's gaze turned from Shinohara to the basket of flowers on the table. "If it were me, I'd blame myself so much that I wouldn't even be able to come see him." Bushidō also turned his head to look at the arrangement of flowers, taking in every petal and stigma as his orbs roamed over it. White and magenta lilies blended together with light purple tulips; The combination creating a beautiful contrast to the sparse room and gloomy atmosphere.

Shirazu and Saiko were stunned and a bit speechless, Hanbee's heartfelt words and the vegetative state of Shinohara had opened their eyes that something like this could happen to any ghoul investigator. '_Even Sas-san..._' Shirazu thought, his jaw flexing as his teeth ground together.

"I want to protect my boss' back." Hanbee said as he turned around to face the three members of Quinx Squad. "Don't you?"

"Yes." both Shirazu and Saiko said at the same time, shocking themselves and each other with how swiftly and confidently they answered. The ghoul in the doorway had not taken his eyes off of the basket of flowers, too caught up in his own thoughts to answer the question.

'_To protect someone... Do I have anyone like that?_'

Hanbee did not voice his question again to Bushidō in the doorway, he could see that the white-haired man was preoccupied with his own thoughts. Instead, he bid both of the teenagers goodbye, explaining that he had to see a colleague of his.

"I'm...sorry. Thank you for everything today." Shirazu said, and he meant every word. Hanbee lips turned upwards into a small smile at the young man, a sign to Shirazu that he said something right.

The two quinxs moved out of the way to make a path for Hanbee to leave, which he took but stopped as he came up to the humanoid obstacle in the doorway. The approaching presence of the slender ghoul investigator shook Bushidō out of his introspection and as Hanbee came to a stop in front of Bushidō, the ghoul raised his eyes away from the flower-filled basket and the two men locked gazes.

Shirazu and Saiko watched, with bated breath, as the two stared each other down. Shirazu wondered if Hanbee was angry at all over what happened at the restaurant but, surprisingly, it was Bushidō who backed down. He nodded curtly to Hanbee before taking a step back to let the other pass.

Hanbee walked out of the hospital room but when he turned and took one step down the white-walled corridor he heard the man next to him say; "Despite your appearance you try very hard. It is...respectable."

The slender ghoul-investigator stopped but did not turn around. "...It seems you can make an expression that isn't filled with hubris." Hanbee replied. He had seen something else, something _different_ from before when they locked eyes.

Bushidō made a sound in the back of his throat akin to a chuckle as he let out a breath through his nostrils. Whether or not it was an insult, he took the response as some sort of common ground between them.

Taking the noise as a farewell, Hanbee took off down the hallway without looking back. Bushidō turned his head back to look into the hospital room and found Shirazu and Saiko taking to each other, almost normally. No bickering, no yelling, and not even a sneering expression from quinx's squad leader. The ghoul's orbs trailed over to Shinohara's form and he thought that Hanbee was right to bring them here. He suddenly found it ironic that the one who couldn't speak would be the one teaching those two...

"Oi, did ya hear what I said?"

Bushidō snapped his head back towards his superior; "I'm sorry...You said something?"

"Geh, the hell man..." Shirazu said, raising an orange eyebrow. "You've been spacing out ever since we got here..."

The ghoul scoffed; "Hardly. Now are you going to say something mildly important or?..."

"Hey! It's yer fuck'n fault for not listening in the first place that I gotta repeat myself!"

Bushidō rolled his eyes at the accusation to which Shirazu sneered, his teeth showing as his lips curled downwards. Saiko brought a hand up to stop herself from giggling out loud and she succeeded, partially. The suppressed giggle came out more like a chortle and garnered the attention of both Bushidō and Shirazu.

"The hell are you laughing at, huh?!" Shirazu hounded as he rounded on his squadmate. "You, obviously." she replied and Shirazu was about to angrily retort when he was acutely aware the two of them were still in Shinohara's room.

"...Whatever, let's just get going." Quinx's Squad Leader said after a heavy sigh. "Sas-san won't be out of his meeting until tonight." he told Bushidō as he made his way out of the room and into the white-titled and walled hallway of the hospital.

"I see..." The ghoul replied as he shut the door behind Saiko, stopping momentarily to take one last look at Shinohara's incapacitated form.

Walking down the hospital's hallway Bushidō recognized someone he never expected to see. Touka Kirishima strode down the hallway, her very presence acting like flame for moths; people's heads turned to her as she passed by, almost entranced by the ethereal beauty she possessed.

"That's :re's..." Shirazu whispered to himself though both Saiko and Bushidō heard him. '_What is she doing here?...'_ Bushidō wondered, his eyes then finding the bouquet of flowers she was carrying. '_And who are those for?'_

Touka was not expecting to find any of the three of them, _especially him_ though her surprise did not rise to the surface. Her expression was one of reserved politeness smiling at both nineteen-year-olds, her one visible eye closing as she said hello and passed by them. Her left eye opened again to stare at the reddish-white eyes she knew would be looking at her. They seemed different than she remembered, there was less color in them. They looked almost...somber.

Shirazu turned his head to watch the waitress go, wondering if she was visiting someone.

"Don't even think about, she's way out of your league."

"The hell? How do even know what 'my league' is?" Shirazu said turning his head to look at the ghoul behind him, clearly annoyed.

"You've probably got the hots for her that's why you're trying to get rid of any competition, isn't that right big bro?" Saiko said, poking fun at the Bushidō for a change.

Bushidō didn't even know where to begin to tell her how wrong her statement was so he settled for a simple; "Please don't call me that."

The shortest of the quinxs shrugged her shoulders, almost expecting the answer. Maybe if she kept it up the nickname would stick.

They continued down the hallway passing various hospital rooms, some had their doors open, filled with the patient's family or the hospital's medical staff. Others were closed, whether they contained sick souls that no one bothered to come comfort or that they were empty was unknown.

Walking into the lobby, Shirazu and Saiko looked out past the glass doors to the sea of bodies of japan's afternoon rush hour. Both of them sighing, knowing that it was going to be a long walk home.

"Man~~, this is going to be such a pain in the ass." Shirazu complained. When he didn't hear a retort or witty reprimand Shirazu turned around to look for the older ghoul but founding nothing but empty space.

"Hey! Where the fuck did he _go_!"

XxXxXx

Touka emptied the intricately crafted vase's flowers into the garbage can that sat near the hospital bed. The once bright sunflowers were now on the verge of wilting and she would make sure that there would never be dying flowers in the vase. It was bad luck, after all. She placed her assortment of flowers into the vase, the stems dipping into the water and casting shadows across the table as afternoon sunlight seeped into the room through a large window, spreading golden color across everything the light rays touched. Taking her usual place as she pulled up one of the chairs next to the hospital bed, Touka sat and watched the rise and fall of the person's chest, it took exactly six and a half seconds to exhale and inhale and it would be like that the next time and the next time and _the_ _next time_. It had been that way for over two years...

Sensing a presence behind her, she narrowed her eyes; "Why are you even here? Shouldn't you be with those two?" Touka asked, not bothering to turn around knowing full well who was there.

"Truth be told I was curious, but I now seem to have stumbled upon something rather...troubling."

:re's waitress sighed, not giving the man the satisfaction of a retort. A silence settled between the two ghouls for some time, then she heard a footstep of him approaching and immediately snapped; "Don't. Just...don't."

Bushidō stopped one foot into the room, his eyes switching from the hospital bed to the female ghoul. He said nothing as he backed up to lean against the doorframe once more. After another long silence he spoke; "Are you going to tell me who this is?"

"Are you going to ask?"

"Will you tell me if I do?"

Touka didn't answer and Bushidō took her silence as a definitive "no". Truthfully, Touka still didn't trust or even like the older ghoul. He came across as a smug know-it-all prick and she had already regretted telling him Kaneki's past, however bare-bones it might have been. After all, how could she put her faith in someone who was a borderline basket case? Not to mention that Renji warned her about him, saying that he was a "danger to ghouls as well as humans."

Realizing that she wasn't going speak up again, Bushidō turned his attention back to the unknown person in the bed. The man had messy strawberry blonde hair that traveled down the nape of his neck and covered his forehead. He looked to be in his early twenties, and although he wore a breathing mask Bushidō could almost picture a serene expression that the man was most likely making.

"Is he a friend of yours?"

Touka did not respond right away, her eyes trained on Hideyoshi Nagachika's breathing, her mind beginning slipping away into the past. She remembered the first time she saw him, lying unconscious in this very room. Posing as one of his friends from Kamii University, Touka had been able to get information from the visiting ghoul investigators, learning that he had been found in the sewers in the aftermath of the 20th ward battle between Anteiku and the CCG. The doctors had said that he was extremely lucky to be alive since he was riddled with bite marks, although none of them were lethal. The main problem was that the sewage water had created infections and had caused his body to strain itself to fight it off. Shortly after his admission Hide had come down with a fever and then later gone into a coma. He hasn't woken up since...

"...In a way, I suppose."

Bushidō narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, wrinkling his suit slightly in the process, unsatisfied with her answer. "You suppose?"

"Look, I don't have to explain anything to you." Touka snapped, her ire provoked, turning her head to glare with her one visible eye at him. The white-haired ghoul raised an eyebrow at her sudden hostile outburst. Something was amiss, Bushidō could plainly see that Touka was very defensive about the subject. Then realization dawned on him, she would act like this unless it was related to...

"This is about _him,_ isn't it?"

Touka's glare intensified tenfold at the implication he made, but she did not deny it. "...So then, this man is an acquaintance of-" Bushidō said, unfolding one of his arms to gesture towards the bedridden Hide.

"_That's enough_." Touka spat, rising from her chair and turning around to fully face the older ghoul, her blueish-silver hair swaying in the process. "Who do you think you are? Sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."

"On the contrary, I believe I should know considering-"

"No, I've already told you more than you need to know. Now, _l__eave_." Touka said, holding her gaze and standing her ground.

"...I see. You don't trust me, even after I said that I would help."

The female ghoul was mildly surprised, there was not a hint of anger or bitterness, only a well-hidden sadness in his tone.

"You're damn right I don't." Touka crossed her arms over her chest, her displeasure still prevalent from her tone and expression. "I don't even know why you would want to help in the first place. What reason do you have?"

"Its because..." Bushidō broke eye-contact, but Touka could see the color slightly fade from his eyes; "he's living a lie."

Touka knew he was right, and just thinking about it made a whole range of emotions stir in her gut but why did that make _him_ care so much? "And that matters to you, a complete stranger, how exactly?"

In the depths of his subconscious Bushidō heard a sinister whisper so faint he couldn't make out the words, but it still sent a mind-numbing chill down his spine.

'_Its because...you are too._'

XxXxXx

[_November 10th: One day before the Auction_]

Rio Hoshino jogged along the dark sidewalks of Tokyo's thirteen ward, on her way to her friend's abode. Rio's phone read nine-thirty and she mentally cursed that she would be way later than expected. She had finally gotten settled into her job and then they had slammed her with so much paperwork to file Rio was sure she had _at least_ ten paper cuts.

Turning her eyes back to the concrete of the sidewalk the young woman contemplated that it would only take her the next ten minutes to arrive at her friend's front door. She had taken this path before, but something felt _different_ tonight. Something almost... ominous. The dark thought made a chill run up her spine and Rio's pace quickened, her only thoughts were to keep moving.

'_Left foot, Right foot. Left foot..._' Rio thought as she continued moving, forcing herself not to think about how dark the sky was or the fact that she stepped on a crack in the sidewalk or that there not a soul around. Rio stopped suddenly in the mouth of a dark alleyway, looking up and around the vicinity, confused as to why there was _absolutely_ no-one in the area.

'_That's odd..._' Rio thought. She was certain she passed someone not to long ago, so surely there had to be more than just her out this late. Thinking back, Rio remembered that that person giving off some bad juju vibes. In her rush, she didn't get a good look but Rio thought she saw a bald man with sunglasses...

The twenty-two-year-old brunette was just able to catch a glimpse of something moving out of the darkness from the alleyway until it was upon her. The assaulter back-handed Rio so hard, one of the young woman's hair pins was ejected onto the sidewalk's concrete; falling in the crack between slabs. Rio's eyes reeled back into her head as she lost consciousness from the blow, collapsing into a heap at her assaulter's feet. The stoic bald man looked down at his captured prey through a pair of dark sunglasses.

Without a word, the ghoul bent down and hoisted the woman up onto his shoulder, the vein in his head twitching slightly as he did so. Then as quickly as he struck, the ghoul retreated swiftly and silently back into the alleyway, the only indication of the abduction was Rio's treasured hairpin, laying snugly in the crack of the dark concrete slabs of Tokyo's thirteen ward...

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**A/N: What did you think? Remember to leave your thoughts in a review! **


	12. The Echoing Sound from the Other Side

**A.N. Here is my late New Year's gift to all my faithful viewers and reviewers. Unfourtanely college as taken up all of my time for the past half-year now and I am taking more advanced classes this semester. Meaning that this chapter will probably be the only update for a couple months. Sorry about that, nothing I can really do about it. **

**On the brighter side of things, I don't plan on shelving this story at all, I mean it has been a year already since I posted the first chapter and I feel like my writing and the direction of the story has improved. I still plan on going to 200,000+ words, since the narrative will demand the fleshing out of several characters. **

**Without further adieu, Welcome my honorable readers to the twelfth installment in the continuing saga of "****Bushidō" and the world of Tokyo Ghoul. **

***Reviewer Feedback***

**Demons Anarchy of Pride: Yes, Hide finally shows his elusive self, poor guy. **

**Scarease: Thanks for the words of kindness and encouragement!**

**togetherweloki'd: I know you've been waiting so long for this chapter. I hope you find it glorious.**

**Ryujomaru15: Glad you like the story so far, and here is the next chapter. **

**xxxDreamingflowerxxx: Come on now, we both know that your theory is a bit out there. But it would be one hell of a twist. Also, you're right. Bushidō does not swing that way.**

**Carlmike94: Glad you're getting hyped. the answer to your question: Yes?**

**Frosty Ninja: I'm so humbled you think so highly of my story. I really try to do the characters justice, with having enough space within the narrative to expand and really delve into each character and their interactions. That is part of why the pacing is so slow at times, but I am glad you are enjoying yourself! **

**Equinox: Please don't do that, you have so much to live for! Like telling me how good my story is. ;)**

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[_November 10th: One Day Before the Auction 11:07 PM, Unknown Location_]

When Rio groggily awoke all she could see was a curtain of darkness so vast and thick she was unable to tell if her eyes were open or closed. With her mind slow and foggy, the chestnut-haired woman's senses slowly came back to her, one by one.

First came the sensation of breathing, and Rio found that when she breathed in she felt some sort of rough fabric stick to her parted lips. Breathing out, she felt her warm breath ricochet off the fabric and sting her eyes, confirming that she indeed had her eyes open.

Secondly came the feeling in her limbs, as Rio tried bringing her hands up to remove whatever cloth-like obstruction prevented her from breathing properly. She came to notice that her arms had been bound behind her back and her wrists were tied tightly together with a rope of some kind. Whimpering slightly as she weakly twisted her hands and failing to break free from her bonds, Rio also suddenly realized she was lying on a cold floor; the hard surface sapping the heat from her body.

'_Where...Where am I?_' She asked herself, hoping maybe the question would clear the haze of her mind. She tried again to move only to be meet with failure, as the ropes around her extremities were as tight as a vise. A sudden spike of fear washed over her then, like an icy grip holding firm onto her core freezing her from the inside out as the gravity of her situation was starting to become clearer. With a rush of terror-infused adrenaline, Rio's hazy mind began to come into focus.

'_What am I doing here? I should_ _be... should be..._' she thought, her mind slowly beginning to remember.

That's right, she was on her way to her friend's house when..._when..._ Then like a rush of cold water, Rio's memory of her assault came flooding back and with it the stinging pain of her injured face.

With a loud gasp, Rio's whole body squirmed and thrashed as her swollen cheek radiated with white hot pain. It felt like someone had taken a heated frying pan and bashed it against the side of her face, the throbbing and burning were almost unbearable, the searing pain causing tears to well up in her eyes and her breath to be stolen away. After what seemed like hours, the pain began to subside and Rio's breathing returned to normal. Through the veil of blackness, Rio heard a rustling coming from some direction ahead of her, and after a moment the rustling ceased and silence ringed in her ears. Then catching the sound of an audible click of some sort, almost like a lock being undone, she then heard the creaking of metal hinges.

"What the hell?!" A slightly muffled feminine voice yelled. A dim light accompanied the voice, cutting through the darkness that surrounded Rio. A surge of hope filled the young woman; perhaps she would be saved, maybe someone had found her!

"Hey! Why the hell did you tie her up, she needs to be in perfect condition!"

Rio's heart sank into her stomach as she realized no savior had arrived. She faintly heard the murmurings of another person, but the words were lost to her as she was becoming more panicked as every second ticked by. Rio's eyes darted back and forth trying to peer through the cloth to the dim light shining through the fabric.

"Whatever. Don't blame me when Madam punishes you for displeasing the crowd tomorrow."

'_Crowd?_' Rio thought, only having a moment to contemplate those words, for she heard footsteps coming closer. "Now let's see how beautiful this one is, shall we?" the feminine voice said, it almost sounded like the person was..._excited_.

A primal fear took hold in Rio then, but unlike before this fear raged like a wild beast tearing and pulling at every fiber of her body to simply do one action: _Run._

_"No!_" She screamed with all her might as she frantically tried to roll away from the approaching threat. She twisted her arms furiously as she thrashed about, the rope biting into her wrists and chafing the skin, turning them an ugly red color.

"How unladylike, all that fussing won't do you any good. You should feel grateful to be part of tomorrow's event, you'll be more beautiful that you've ever been."

"S-Stay away from me!" Rio shrieked, growing ever more afraid of the click-clacking of advancing footsteps. "D-D-Don't-" she choked out as she held back a sob, trying very hard not to break down. She felt utterly helpless, powerless to do anything at all.

The faint light disappeared from Rio's vision as a silhouette loomed over her, and after a moment Rio felt the cloth lift over her head and a hand grasp her chin, yanking her upwards to reveal a woman's face leaning down over her. The woman had long beautiful midnight violet hair that graced the sides of her face and wore a pure white surgical mask that covered the lower half of her face, but to Rio, the most unnerving aspect was the woman's eyes. They seemed to analyze every part of her face hungrily as if she was judging whether or not to devour it.

When the woman's eyes roamed over Rio's swollen cheek they narrowed in displeasure. Letting go of Rio's chin as she straighten back up to her full height, Nutcracker turned on her heel and growled angrily at her partner, who stood expressionless in the doorway.

"Do you have _any _idea how hard it's going to be to make her look presentable?!"

The other ghoul's deadpanned expression did not change, instead, he crossed his arms over his broad chest and said rather dismissively; "You don't get to complain, I finished _your_ quota with this one. Remember, you owe me now."

Their words and the meaning behind them were lost to Rio, who was using all her willpower to stop from shaking in fright. She could still see the woman's thirsty gaze upon her and it shook her right down to her core.

With his piece said, the male ghoul turned and left, leaving a fuming Nutcracker to herself as well as letting more fluorescent light filter into the room. The light illuminated the room around the two women, revealing dark metal walls that were stained with either rust or dried blood, Rio could not tell.

She heard her new captor make a sound of annoyance before turning back around and leaning over her. Forcing Rio to look at her with another yank of her chin, Nutcracker examined the woman more thoroughly and saw that despite the terrified expression and swollen cheek she had a certain beauty to her, an aura of innocence.

"It's such a shame that I won't be able to buy you..." The violet-haired ghoul said as she brought up her free hand to grasp the top of her mask. Pulling it down to reveal the rest of her face, her lips parted to gave Rio a bone-chilling smile that revealed blackened teeth; "You going to look so beautiful that I could just eat you now."

[_November 11th: Day of the Auction 4:23 AM, Quinx Chateau_]

Bushidō stumbled into the modern-styled bathroom and collapsed against the toilet bowl. Lifting up the lid just in time to vomit out the contents of his stomach, Bushidō regretted ever consuming Sasaki's cooking over the past week. The ghoul had managed to quietly endure the utterly detestable food; No food wasn't the right word, the word food couldn't possibly describe the substance that was being forcefully ejected from his innards. '_Utterly detestable_ _garbage..._' he thought bitterly, his stomach seemed to be in agreement for it lurched and Bushidō had to clench his teeth and forcefully will himself not to throw up.

With gastric acid burning his throat and pale-faced, he stared at the floating mess in the toilet's water. The smell was enough to almost make him gag and he only took a few moments to contemplate the mixture of regurgitated red and brown chunks before his stomach lurched violently again and this time, the ghoul did vomit adding more bile to the putrid mass.

After his bout of hurling Bushidō pushed himself away from the vomit filled toilet and rested against the nearby wall. The ghoul stretched out his right leg, the heel of his foot sliding against the smooth white tile as leaned his head backward; his locks of white hair were wildly strewn all over the place, but that was the last of his worries at the moment. The ghoul's half-lidded eyes stared at the bathroom's light fixture, every breath feeling like sandpaper grinding against his raw esophagus. He felt incredibly sluggish like an enormous invisible weight was pressing down on him, so Bushidō just gazed into the lightbulbs, finding a bit of comfort in the searing pain of his optic nerves, it took his mind off each painful breath and, of course, the smell of his bile. He only closed his eyelids when the burning pain became almost unbearable and even then behind his eyelids the golden light still stung at him.

The ghoul stayed motionless for some time, his mind emptying into a feeling of numbness while his body was on the verge unwinding, but Bushidō was disrupted by a soft knock on the wall.

"Uh, are you alright?"

Bushidō cracked an eye slightly open, looking away from the ceiling fixture to see a sleepy and disgruntled Shirazu in the doorway. The Quinx Squad leader looked ready to fall asleep standing up; He barely had his eyes open and the nineteen-year-old was lazily scratching a haphazard patch of orange hair sticking out from the side of his head.

"Not..really." The ghoul croaked, his throat burning fiercely as he spoke, his voice coming out in a raspy whisper.

Noticing a distinctly different tone and lack of snarky comments of any kind, Shirazu quickly sobered up and realized the older ghoul was indeed not alright.

"Damn, what hell _happened_?" Shirazu asked after he had taken in Bushidō's ghastly state.

Bushidō, not having the energy nor in the mood to be sardonic, turned his head slightly to the right, motioning towards the toilet. "Food...not agreeing...with-" The ghoul stopping mid-sentence as his stomach convulsed violently, giving Bushidō a matter of seconds to lean over the bowl and once again vomit into the bathroom's toilet.

Shirazu's eyes widened in shock at the Bushidō's sudden upheaval of semi-digested food. After a few moments to get over his surprise, Shirazu averted his eyes and awkwardly rubbed the nape of his neck, finding the bathroom's wallpaper suddenly very interesting.

After his puking spell had ended Bushidō slowly pushed himself back into his previous position, his eyes glancing over at Shirazu, who was making an expression akin to disgust; his hand waving in front of his nose to ward off the smell of bile.

"Shit, it reeks in here!" he stated absentmindedly, causing Bushidō, even in his tired and sickened state, to roll his eyes in exasperation at the young man's complaining of the obvious.

"Er..." Shirazu mumbled to himself after realizing that he had just stuck his own foot in his mouth and in doing so, he instilled a period of awkward silence. Shirazu mentally cursed himself for his blunder and as the seconds ticked by the young man struggled to grasp the words to fix the situation. The older ghoul said nothing, partly due to his state of being and also Bushidō preferred to let Shirazu try and sort out his own problem. Although he had only known him for a short while the ghoul knew that Shirazu was someone who was awkward, self-critical, and oftentimes overbearing towards people close to him. Saiko immediately came to mind, but she was a whole other case entirely. Perhaps it was a defensive mechanism for him, a way to cope with a tragedy in the past.

"...Uh, look. Sorry about that. Do...do you need help?" Shirazu asked, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck yet again as he avoided eye contact.

And there it was. One of Shirazu's redeeming qualities, maybe his only one but it shined brightly through all his shortcomings.

'_His altruism towards others, even ones that he views as untrustworthy..._' Bushidō thought, inwardly smiling at Shirazu's offer.

"...Water. Some water would help." The ghoul told Shirazu and the nineteen-year-old nodded as he shuffled out rather quickly into the hallway towards the kitchen.

Hearing the creaking of Shirazu's footsteps down the hallway, Bushidō attempted to stand upright using the toilet seat and narrowly succeeded, almost slipping and falling face first into his own bile.

Grimacing at the thought, the ghoul pushed down the toilet's handle flushing the vomit down into the sewage system and to its inevitable demise through Tokyo's water treatment facilities.

Placing one hand on the marble counter for support, Bushidō turned his attention away from his discarded bodily matter to the bathroom's mirror and found that he looked absolutely miserable. With disheveled hair, an exhausted gaze, and slouched posture Bushidō was sure that he looked dead on his feet. Gazing at his own lifeless reflection, the ghoul's own eyes stared back at him, burrowing into his consciousness and something stirred in the pit of his stomach, a feeling of mounting dread...

Hearing the oncoming footsteps of someone, the ghoul turned just in time to see Shirazu return holding a tall glass of water and looking more awake than he did a minute ago.

"Here, don't drop it." Shirazu said as he held out the tall glass for Bushidō to take. Extending his unoccupied arm the ghoul took the glass from Shirazu's outstretched hand and tilted his head upwards to drink the cool liquid, finding it extremely refreshing as slid down his hoarse throat.

Shirazu watched as Bushidō downed the entire glass in one go, the gears in his mind churning as he stared. After the ghoul finished Shirazu spoke up; "I still don't get it."

Raising his eyebrow at the vague question Bushidō gave Shirazu a questioning glance as he turned on the bathroom faucet to fill his now empty glass.

"I mean... What are you doing here, with us? Shouldn't you be out there, ya know..."

"Killing people?" Bushidō asked, finishing Shiazu's sentence for him. "Uh...yea." Shirazu said, his voice quite. He found that his question sounded much better in his head than out loud.

"Let me answer your question with one of my own. Do you believe this world to be black and white? Right and wrong?" The white-haired ghoul asked, his stare turning calculating as his eyes searched for Shirazu's reaction.

The nineteen-year-old blinked quizzically, taken aback by the strange question. "W-Well, I..." Shirazu started to stay but stopped abruptly. He knew that the ghoul was trying to tell him something, but the more he thought about it the more Shirazu became confused.

'_Of course there is right and wrong, but that is the answer he's expecting!_' Shirazu thought, his expression becoming more and more conflicted and sour.

Inwardly smirking at young man's lack of understanding, Bushidō finished his glass of water for a second time before saying; "It is a simple 'yes or no' question, Squad Leader Shirazu."

"It ain't fuckin' simple, and you know it!" Shirazu complained, his heated gaze and furrowed eyebrows pointed in Bushidō's direction.

"You're right."

"Don't give me that sh-. ...Huh?" Shirazu asked, clearly puzzled at the ghoul's agreement.

"You're right, it is not simple," Bushidō stated, feeling slightly refreshed as he stood up to his full height and no longer needed the white marble countertop for support. The ghoul's answer perplexed Shirazu even further, the Quinx Squad Leader's bewildered expression mirroring his thoughts. "This world is a spectrum of gray, and no issue is as straightforward as it seems."

Shirazu nodded slowly, understanding slightly what the middle-aged ghoul was saying. "But how does that answer-"

"You think of ghouls as murderous monsters who, given the chance, will tear you apart without a second thought." Bushidō stated, catching Shirazu completely off guard, his eyes widening at the statement.

"In reality, your assumption only applies to the ones that you have battled through your affiliation with the CCG, there are plenty of ghouls who are, for lack of a better word, more _human-like_ than you realize."

An image of Yoshimura's patient smiling face flashed across Bushidō's mind and the ghoul's shoulders slouched just a fraction.

Shirazu's face contorted into a look of confusion, Bushido's statement a foreign concept to him. "So you're saying that..." Shirazu asked, not being able to connect the dots in Bushidō's argument. Letting out a sigh of exasperation, Bushidō closed his eyes suppressing his overwhelming urge to pinch the bridge of his nose.

After a few moments of respite, the ghoul opened his eyes as he stated; "What I am saying is that I'm-" but stopped abruptly as he saw a person standing behind Shirazu.

Haise Sasaki stood in the bathroom's doorway, his gray hair strewn across his forehead haphazardly and a tired but stern look on his face as his eyes darted between Shirazu and Bushidō, his stare lasting on the latter for a few moments noting the ghoul's haggard appearance.

"What are you two doing up?"

"Sas-san!" Shirazu exclaimed, immediately turning around to face his superior with a surprised expression.

Sasaki raised an eyebrow as his gaze settled on his subordinate, looking for an explanation. "You do know we have an operation today, right?"

Shirazu nodded, his expression turning from surprised to slightly nervous as he opened his mouth to give his reasoning, but Bushidō interrupted; "Don't be too harsh on him. He was helping me after all."

Sasaki's gaze turned toward's Bushidō's frame, his one eyebrow still raised; "Helping you?" he asked, a hint of doubt in his voice as he fully took in the sight of the ghoul's haggard presence.

"Ah, well-" Bushidō started to explain, only for a singular sound to quiet all thought and action. The ghoul's body instantly stiffened and froze, a cold sweat breaking out across his skin, his hands feeling clammy as the sound penetrated into the forefront of his consciousness.

He heard knocking, clear and concise coming from his left, right where the mirror was.

It called for him, but Bushidō dared not look over for he knew only madness would follow if he did.

Another knock, its volume the same as the last almost as if the culprit knew Bushidō had heard...as if it was mocking him. The white-haired ghoul's balance waned, his eyes becoming glazed-over dying embers staring into nothing and the glass slipped from his hand, crashing into pieces on the white tile below. He couldn't see the shocked and confused looks of Haise and Shirazu, nor could he hear the words that were forming on their lips, only the resonating sound of knuckles rapping on glass.

"_Liar~ Liar~_" A sing song voice said, coming from everywhere and nowhere, causing a feeling of freezing cold ice to shoot up Bushidō's spine.

Feeling his legs grow weak, he used the marble countertop for support again, his body becoming ever more contorted as he collapsed further and further into himself, his back arching like a feline's.

"_Hey~ ...Aren't you hungry?_" The voice asked, the whisper coming now from inside his head. Bushido's stomach churned and grumbled in response, and the words brought waves of emotion that cascaded over him.

Fear.

Disgust.

Loathing.

Yearning.

_Hunger. _

_Oh, the hunger._

It gnawed at his core, threatening to drive him over the edge into the gaping maw of madness. As he struggled for control Bushidō inhaled through his nose, an action he immediately regretted.

The aroma of flesh was intoxicating, so much so that he began salivating and the ghoul had to clench his fists with all his might so that he would not lunge and tear Shirazu apart.

'_It would be so easy, simple even._' He thought. He could see it in his mind's eye; ripping off the limbs with ease, tearing open the ribcage as blood splattered over the bathroom walls, caking them a sinister shade of red as he pulled entrails and organs out. He could practically taste the flesh, its flavor just waiting to be devoured. Yes, it would be so _easy_.

The far off voices of the two in front of Bushidō slowly came into focus; "H... ar..e you... ...Oi! Are you alright?" He heard Shirazu ask and as the white-haired ghoul's senses came back into focus, he noticed Shirazu's foot take a step towards him.

Bushidō immediately brought is free hand over his mouth, in an act to keep it shut and shook his head vigorously signaling for the quinx to not come any closer. Clamping down with his fingers and gritting his teeth, Bushidō refused to let himself be taken over by his desires.

"Don't... I...I d-don't feel well. Please, I-I need to leave." The ghoul mumbled through his hand, not meeting the other's stares. Thankfully, with their enhanced hearing, Sasaki and Shirazu both heard his words, and Shirazu's baffled look was accompanied with silence from the teenager while Sasaki's eyebrows furrowed in thought. He could smell the stench of bile emitting from the room, knowing that the ghoul had been throwing up. Then it dawned on the ghoul investigator that Bushidō had eaten nothing but human food for at least the past week.

Quickly realizing the situation, Sasaki placed a hand on Shirazu's shoulder to get his attention and motioned with his head towards the hallway behind him, signaling for the Quinx Squad leader to let Bushidō through.

Shirazu grudgingly complied, shaken up by the sudden change in tone, and shifted over to the right, allowing a pathway for the hunched over ghoul to take.

His hand still gripping the countertop, the ghoul's only thoughts were how many different ways he could kill both Shirazu and Sasaki, that fixation alone was what stopped him from acting on his thoughts as he teetered on the cusp of insanity.

'_Break the kneecaps first..._'

The ghoul took a step forward, his eyes trained on the bleach white tiles. His bare feet smashing the glass shards into tiny crystalline fragments.

'_Dodge the first strike then grab and twist, ripping bone and_ _sinew..._'

Another step, passing Shirazu as he did so and Sasaki moved out of the doorway, creating a path to the hallway and the front door.

'_Tear off the arm. Hear the scream. See the gore. Taste the flesh..._'

The ghoul silently reveled in the scene playing out in his mind as he exited the bathroom. The light fixture behind him casting a dark shadow on the opposing wall. The ghoul couldn't keep his balance without the support of the countertop and slumped forward, his left arm moving to the wall to catch himself from falling even further. Sasaki stared worryingly down at the sunken ghoul in front of him and wondered if he was going to be alright.

He knew the older ghoul was not himself, but surely...

Reaching out with his hand to place it on the ghoul's shoulder, Sasaki was about to open his mouth to ask about Bushidō's well-being when a subtle movement stopped him cold, freezing the blood in his veins to ice.

With the small turn of the head, a single eye stared up at him. The ghoul's kakugan was active, the iris a blood-red with red veins in jagged patterns running across the now black sclera. Its gaze regarding him hungrily, as if he was a piece of meat...

Bushidō raged an internal war with is carnivorous desires, one that he knew he would ultimately lose if he stayed here any longer. The crescendo of whispers and the vividity of images that blossomed from the darkest corners of his consciousness threatened to drive him over the edge; so much so that he was drooling, but he would not be beaten. _He would not go back, he would never go back..._

The tense moment between the two was gone when Bushidō turned away and hobbled down the hallway, almost stumbling over his own feet as he progressed. Sasaki watched with bated breath, his senses heightened, his muscles tensed, waiting for the ghoul to leap and attack him.

Shirazu poked his head out of the bathroom to look down the darkened corridor, a confusion expression still plastered on his face as he watched Bushidō go.

Collapsing against the ornate door in an audible _thud_, Bushidō felt the wood creak and groan as he fiddled with the door lock with increasing anxiety. His hands were shaking, making it exceedingly more difficult to undo the locking mechanism. The ghoul bit down on the inside of his cheek with such force that it ripped a chunk of flesh right off, but the pain and the taste of rusted iron were not felt over the mounting frustration. With the last of his waning resolve, he willed his limbs to work properly and managed to unlock the door. Reeling back as he gripped the door handle, Bushidō swung it open with such force that it smacked violently into the opposing wall, the door handle lodging itself in the drywall, creating a hole.

The sound resonated through the dead quiet abode, but Bushidō couldn't hear it. Lunging forward, the ghoul catapulted himself out of the house, and in his desperation found himself sprawled out on the sidewalk.

Sasaki, a bit shocked with the overzealous show of force, squinted into the dead of night, watching as the ghoul seemed to quiver from his laid out position, then after a few moments slowly began to pick himself up. Once he was in a crouched stance, all movement from him ceased.

For several moments, there was not even a twitch from a muscle, a breath of exhaled air. There simply was only him and the black expanse of night.

Then, with inhuman speed, the ghoul leaped away into the folds of midnight, leaving both Shirazu and Sasaki wondering what they had just witnessed.

XxXxXx

A man gazed down at his prey with vicious excitement in his black eyes. His red irises watched the woman beneath his form as she cried hysterically, tears smearing her makeup leaving thick black trails from her eyes to her jawline, and her bleach-blonde dyed hair had become matted and stuck to the sides of her face. She was spouting useless pleas for her life that fell on deaf ears. Didn't the bitch know she was going to die? Serves her right for being out alone at this time of night.

With only the stars to illuminate, the ghoul's eyes shifted from his quarry' face to her bent and broken leg that, in the darkness of night, bleed inky dark fluid onto the concrete of the rooftop. It had been so easy to snap really, and the thought of breaking more of her bones brought indescribable pleasure. That power to dominate another was uncomparable.

The smell of blood only made the predator more excited, and he found it high time that he silenced her grating voice. Bending over slightly and extending his arm towards the woman's neck, he was too engrossed in his actions to realize the sudden attack that blew him across the rooftop, tumbling him into a mess of broken bones and ripped flesh.

The ghoul didn't even have time to register the pain, only the glint of something sinister against the starlight and a figure standing above him before his head caved-in with a bashing force so great that gray matter, brain, and pieces of skull fragments flew in all directions in an explosion of gore.

The figure chuckled at the sight and without further thought, bent down and began feasting on the dead ghoul; ripping muscles, bone, organs and skin with teeth and hand.

The disgusting scene caused the woman to gag, as the putrid aroma of guts was enough to make her puke. She could hear whispers coming from the person, they were faint but the woman could pick up on a few words.

"_Tasty...more?...no, I can't...Am I a good boy?...remember, please...don't make me..._"

Not being able to make sense of the garbled insanity, she began to slowly crawl away, dragging her useless broken leg with her. The pain was dulled by the rush of adrenaline and fear as she desperately attempted to flee.

"_Hey,_" she heard the figure say, the tone of the masculine voice making her heart skip a beat. Or several.

"_Where do you think you're going?_"

The poor woman slowly turned her head towards the voice and saw, with the help of the light of a few stars, the fleeting glimpse of a wild mess of white hair.

"Please, I..."

The cannibal hushed her before saying; "_Don't worry, you're next._"

XxXxXx

Akira Mado was having a bad day. In fact, bad did not even come close to a powerful enough adjective to describe just how _bad_ her day was going. Stacks, as in several stacks, of paperwork, making the final organizational touches for her teams in the upcoming auction raid that was just mere _hours_ away, and worst of all, there has been no word since Haise's phone call this morning claiming there had been an "incident" involving a certain white-haired ghoul.

The woman reminded herself that any such incident tied to that man was undoubtedly going to grant her a migraine, so perhaps it was a blessing in disguise.

The blonde woman walked down the steps into the polished lobby of the CCG twentieth ward's branch office as afternoon light poured through the windows. With dossier of the details on the raid in one hand and her quinque suitcase in other, Akira had every intent to head to CCG's headquarters until she caught sight of a peculiar individual sitting in the back of the nearly empty waiting area.

The man, or what she assumed was a man, was sitting cross-legged in his chair with the daily newspaper obscuring his torso and face. She saw the person's glossy black dress shoe tapping the carpet briskly, almost seeming impatient.

What struck her the oddest were the few strands of white hair she could see over the top of the newspaper and Akira immediately recognized who it was.

A fierce scowl working its way onto her pretty face, Akira Mado stormed her way over, past the RC cell scanners and counters of the receptionist desks. As she came to a stop in front of the man, confirming that it was indeed Bushidō, Akira opened her mouth to demand an explanation only to be interrupted.

"Don't ask."

In response, the female ghoul investigator furrowed her eyebrows as she glared daggers down at the sitting ghoul, noting the pristine jet black suit he was wearing. To say his hair was a mess would be a gross euphemism

"Do you have any idea-"

"I said. _D__on't. Ask_." Bushidō said, his voice almost a growl, as he titled his gaze from the paper to stare at her. Akira was taken aback at the sudden intensity of his aura, the hard stare he was giving her made her hair stand on end. Akira's grip on her suitcase tightened instinctively and after a moment, she spoke, choosing her words carefully.

"You...are extremely insufferable."

Her words seemed to sink in after a second, for his eyes softened a fraction as he turned back to the black text in front of him. "...Sorry, I had a rough night."

"Hmph, that's an understatement. I got a call from Sasaki saying that there had been an "incident", you wouldn't know anything about that would you?"

The man groaned as he slapped the newspaper against his face in an almost childish manner; "I told you not-"

"-to ask." Akira finished for him, sighing at his stubbornness. Getting a two-week break from this man really wasn't long enough. Akira could feel an oncoming migraine...

Blinking out of her reprieve, the woman noticed that the ghoul had forgone his newspaper and was sifting through the contents of a manila folder, the very same folder that she was carrying just a few moments ago.

"W-What do you think you're doing!?" Akira exclaimed as she made a grab for the information. Alas, Bushidō was quicker, batting her attempts away with his free hand.

"Ah, ah, ah~" he said in a sing-song manner, almost unable to keep the snicker out of his voice. "Don't ask."

Oh, how badly she wanted to wring his neck.

"So you found the location of the auction?" Bushidō said, his playful demeanor evaporating as he observed the document in front of him.

Akira was not happy. At all. Her whole plan had gone out the window, and he had only been in her presence for a few minutes.

"...That's only an estimation, if the CCG are correct in the assumption of the scale of the auction then that address is the only place that it will be carried out at."

"And you didn't want to share this information with me, why?"

Akira stood up a little straighter as she looked down at the ghoul through hardened orbs; "You won't be coming with us."

Bushidō raised an eyebrow at her statement as his mouth flattened into a thin line. "You better have a fantastic explanation."

"You do not get to be angry about this. Due to your blatant disregard of my orders before the meeting two weeks ago, you have driven me and yourself into a corner. Even though Matsuri Washuu is a high-ranking CCG member and leader of squad two, he, among others, cannot know about the relationship that you and the CCG...share."

"Is this you trying to save face?"

"Hardly." Akira scoffed. "The integrity of the CCG is at stake and precautions must be taken."

The ghoul couldn't argue with that. He could foresee that if knowledge of his evolvement within the CCG became widespread...well he didn't want to imagine what would happen.

The absence of something caught the ghoul's attention and Bushidō tilted his head slightly to gaze past Akira's frame, seeing that a certain receptionist was missing from her post.

"She isn't here." he said to himself, the statement reaching the blonde woman's ears. The ghoul had been too preoccupied with being incognito to realize that Rio was absent.

"Don't try to change the subject." Akira hissed at him, growing increasingly irritated with his attitude. He would not weasel his way out of this one!

Abandoning the comfort of the chair, Bushidō stood up abruptly causing Akira to immediately take a step back. She noticed he was no longer looking at her, but behind her.

"Look, the girl isn't there." the ghoul told her, inclining his head toward the receptionist's desks, and extending his arm out to give the dossier back.

Akira, giving a withering glare for good measure before taking back what was rightfully hers, turned to see that he was right. The young woman who was usually in high spirits and sociable was indeed missing.

Strange. It wasn't like Rio to miss work at all, Akira knew she was a diligent worker. Something seemed off...

The ghoul left Akira behind as he sauntered off towards the occupied counter, his eyes darting to the on-duty receptionist, a middle-aged woman whose violet hair was kept in a loose messy bun. The woman was attractive, her face showing no signs of wrinkles or blemishes; her form slender but fit. It dawned on him then that this person was the same receptionist that was working alongside Rio the day he first approached the CCG. This wasn't going to go well...

The woman was unaware of the approach as she was filtering through paperwork, but looked up when he stepped up to the counter.

"Yes, what can I help-" The receptionist began, only to look mortified at the person standing in front of her.

"Where is she?" The ghoul asked as he pointed to the empty spot where Rio was supposed to be, not even batting an eye at the woman's expression.

She moved to press the emergency alarm under her desk, only for Akira to swiftly swoop in with an authoritative "Don't" as she appeared next to Bushido.

"Would you stop giving me that look? If you keep looking angry all the time it might just stay that way." he complained when Akira shot him a menacing glare.

Ignoring him completely, Akira reassured the older woman that the man was not a threat.

"He's just..." Akira said, pausing to find the right word for a description. The ghoul raised his brow as he watched her with curiosity.

"...unusual."

Bushidō chuckled to himself at her tone, he could feel the enmity drip from the words but he kept himself quiet. When the receptionist calmed down, they found that Rio hadn't shown up for work and that her mother had just called a few hours ago wondering about her location.

"If I recall properly, she said last night that she was going to a friend's house..."

"Did she say where?"

"I believe she mentioned it was near that popular tonkatsu* restaurant in the 13th ward."

At the mention of the notorious ward both Akria and Bushidō thought's immediately came to the same conclusion.

The ghoul swore under his breath as he rolled his shoulders in apprehension, causing the middle-aged woman to look at him in alarm. "What? What's wrong?!"

"That's...where a certain ghoul has been kidnapping victims. If she went out late at night..." Akira let her words hang in the air, the unfinished sentence defining more than words ever could.

"_Oh no_..." the receptionist said, a look of horror etched into features. "I told her not to go alone!"

Akira knew this complicated things, now the CCG most likely had three of its members that would be attending the auction as merchandise.

"Well...I'll be going." The ghoul announced, heading for the transparent glass doors that depicted the setting sun, the light emanating a myriad of dark red, orange, yellow colors against the backdrop of buildings and skyscrapers.

"_I don't think so..._" the female First Class investigator hissed as she followed his trail, leaving the older woman to her worries.

Akira managed to catch up to him just as he reached the entrance, her wrath apparent in her posture, her expression just as minacious.

"Have you been listening to _anything_ I have said?"

"Sure. I just have to make sure I am not recognized. Besides, you said it yourself. I should apologize to her, shouldn't I?"

She didn't respond, for the dark color of blood in a patch of his bleach-color hair caught her eye.

XxXxXx

It had been the trick of the light, really. If it was a sign from a higher power or merely the geometry of the sunlight reflecting into his eye, Bushidō wouldn't know. However, what he did know was the owner of the hairpin that was sitting in the palm of his hand.

He knew the girl had two of these in her hair, no doubt they were some sort of gift due to its extravagant design. One-half of a butterfly, now tarnished and chipped.

There was no mistaking the connection of the upcoming auction, Nutcracker's abductions, and Rio disappearance. It all added up too perfectly to be mere coincidence.

The reddish-white orbs of the ghoul veered from the accessory in his palm to the sunset, its zenith just visible from the tips of the rooftops. Night would be coming for Tokyo soon, if he hurried to the address he might be able to make it before the auction starts...

An almost sinister wind ripped through the street, blowing against his frame and setting his hair into a tangled mess of ivory. That location was only an assumption and Bushidō knew this. Too many variables. Not enough time to solve the problem. He needed information and if anyone had information on the largest human trafficking ring of the ghoul underground it would be...

'_Itori..._' Bushidō thought as his hand clamped around Rio's hairpin. It would seem he needed to pay a visit to that damned woman. Just great.

* * *

**A.N. Don't forget to leave a review!**

***T****onkatsu*- Is a Japanese food which consists of a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet.**


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